Life Is Strange The Lost Daughter Episode 2 New World Order
by WickDaLine
Summary: Rachel's POV. After months of training to be an agent of Chrysalis, Rachel prepares herself to enter the dangers of the Bolivian civil war that awaits her. With the help of her friend Cayce and Alpha Team, together they must take the fight to El Eterno lead by the fearsome warmonger Hugo Alvarez. To put an end to the oppressive rebellion that parishes the once peaceful country.
1. Refuge

**Note: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And to celebrate Turkey Day, I bring you my next installment of my ATS prequel "The Lost Daughter". Before I let you out, just I minor thing to discuss.**

 **For those following my Eternity War story and read my note at the end, I talked about how action/adventure may seem a bit like the elephant in the room for LIS. Then defended the idea saying that's how I'd like to see it proceed for those who believe otherwise. I did not mean to disgrace or offend you fanboys and fangirls about how you see the series, I was only saying how much I'd like to follow my heart and live with the ideas in fruition for my stories. Thank you.**

 **I'd also like to discuss that I will put this episode of TDL on hiatus at some point in the middle to return my work back to EW. In the meantime, enjoy this story while you still can and stay golden! Piece out! And no emoji!**

Previously on Life is Strange: The Lost Daughter...

 _"Rachel Amber has been recovered. The Lazarus project will proceed as planned."_

* * *

 _"My God, Hendricks,"_ said the male voice. _"I think she's waking up."_

"Dammit, Benson," the woman referred as Hendricks muttered. "She's not ready yet. Give her the sedative."

* * *

 _"Wake up, Rachel!"_ a voice said on an intercom.

 _"Rachel, do you hear me?"_ the intercom voice spoke again. _"Get out of that bed now! This facility is under attack!"_

* * *

"Where did you come from?!" the man asked. "I thought you were still a work in progress!"

"I just woke up!" I shouted. "You probably know more than I do!"

"I'm Cayce Foley. You were drugged and abducted by Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott. You were killed by an overdose. Dead as dead can be when they brought you here. Our scientist spent the last six months putting you back together. You've been comatose or worse that whole time. Welcome back to your life."

* * *

"Hendricks," said Benson. "But you were-"

In the blink of an eye, Hendricks pulled her pistol out of her coat pocket and pulled the trigger. Shooting Benson in the face and his body dropping dead on the floor.

"Dead?" said Hendricks, finishing Benson final words.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Cayce shouted.

"My job," she answered. "Benson betrayed us all."

* * *

"Rachel Amber," he began. "Just the woman I was waiting for.

"Cut to the chase. I was just drugged to death by two psychos, I may have just ditched everyone I cared about in Arcadia Bay who now think I'm dead, and now I wake up from my death bed only to hear you talk about terrorist?"

"We're at war," said Crosby. "No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. We believe El Eterno has taken over Bolivia for reasons unnatural. When bringing you to life, we discovered something special in you. That's just one reason we chose you."

"You could've trained an entire army for what you've spent to bring me back," I said.

"You're unique. Not just in ability or what you've experienced, but what you represent. You stood for Blackwell at a key moment. You're more than a prodigy - you're a symbol."

* * *

"It's the FNG, sir," said Cayce. "Go easy on her, Captain. It's her first day on the regimen."

"Right," the captain said. "What the hell kind of name is Rachel Amber? How'd a Blackwell shit like you end up in selection?"

* * *

"Come on, Amber!" Newblood shouted. "Keep up!"

"Find your grip!" Newblood shouted. "Use your momentum to swing across! Hurry!"

* * *

"Vamos, get outta there!" Logos shouted.

"Cover! Aim! Fire! Vamos!"

* * *

I take the baton to swing it towards Newblood. Not before he could disarm me from it and strike me with his kick. I counter his kick, pin him to the ground holding my knee against his neck and restraining his arm. Then the British trainer smacked his hand on the soft floor to stop the fighting. Practice always does makes perfect.

* * *

"Not bad, Rachel," said Cayce, holding the grip and trigger of an unloaded pistol. "But if this wasn't an exercise, you'd be dead by now."

"If this wasn't an exercise," I say. "You wouldn't be able to open your big mouth, Cayce."

Little did Cayce know that soldier holding a rifle behind his back had taken the upper hand. Cayce released his gun away from my brain and digressed himself.

"Congratulations, Operative Amber," he said. "You made it. Welcome to the agency."

* * *

"You're special. Rachel...as far as I'm concerned, I'm the only person you have left to care about. Ever since the day you woke up from that morgue and found me shooting some mercs in that lounge, I couldn't help but to fall for you and care about you a whole lot. Have you ever cared about me back? I really want to know."

I hold Cayce's hand. Then I gradually nudge over to him for my lips to close in on him. With no reluctance whatsoever, my lips touch his and we grant ourselves a gentle kiss for each other. Then I got off my chair. Cayce got off his. And then we kiss again for a few seconds longer. I now have shipped another relationship I made for myself. Cayce was now my new boyfriend. I was now his new girlfriend. And just like everyone else I loved before him, I accepted this ship with no regrets. Even if I did have regrets to let go of, I still had this thing I've made with Cayce to hold onto.

* * *

"You make it back alive, you walk away from us a free girl. If you're killed, you never existed. And Rachel Amber would have been dead a long time. Best case scenario, you don't die twice and you do us this solid just as you would for your friends back home. It's that simple. And one more thing. As far as Chrysalis is concerned, you no longer exist. Your now Rochelle Allison."

Crosby lays my new identification card and passport on the table. Declaring my new name and identity to conceal any evidence that Rachel Amber ever existed. Would I accept this identity? Or will I refuse it?

"Thank you," I say. "I'll take it."

"The mission will begin in just three weeks from now," said Crosby. Good luck Operative Amber. I know you won't let us down."

* * *

"This is a big deal for you, Rachel," said Cayce. "We're all counting on you to do your best to survive this mission together. That is what we've all come to expect from you until now. So, are ready for this?"

"I'm ready," I say.

 **WickDaLine presents...**

 **A Life is Strange fan fiction...**

 **LIFE IS STRANGE**

 **THE LOST DAUGHTER**

 **Episode 2: New World Order**

Chapter 1 Refuge

March 30th, 2014

5:27 PM

Copacabana, Bolivia

Market District/Refugee Camp

Here I am. Copacabana, Bolivia. The only peaceful city in Bolivia dividend from the civil war in this once peaceful country. Now war torn by Bolivian insurgents. All capitalized by a rebellion run by quantum terrorist fighting against South American government loyalist and the South American division of Chrysalis. Now in league with the North American division of Chrysalis. And here I thought by now I'd be fighting the good fight in the kingdom of Los Angeles rather than the outskirts of Bolivia.

I don't believe I've been forced to be sent here on the southern end of the globe before earning my privilege and freedom to do so. After so many years of pursuing my ambitious fantasy, this is how I'm rewarded? I'm brought back to life as if I were in some psychological thriller film about the Lazarus effect. And for what? To forget about the person I once was? To forget everyone and everything I knew in Arcadia Bay? To be sent on a futile crusade I was never born nor made to do?

Whatever the reason, it mattered less now. What truly mattered now was that as long as I'm under the protection of Chrysalis, my identity remains a ghost. And the longer I remain a ghost, the longer Rachel Amber dies and Rochelle Allison lives. So that I may earn my freedom, earn back my true identity, and earn back the life I deserve to resume.

My first mission entering the country was to enter the refugee area of Copacabana near the Bolivian/Peruvian border and on the coast of Lake Titicaca. Where refugees from the war had gathered under the protection of the South American Chrysalis military. The corporation of Chrysalis was international and divided into three common branches: military, science, and Administration. Which is how the South American region gets it's own division the way North America does.

This covert operation I had been assigned to involved infiltrating the city as an American tourist dressed in Bolivian clothing. They had put me in a dress in Bolivian fashion to blend in with the crowds in markets I'd been wondering at. I stepped inside one of the huts to look at a few items while waiting for further instruction from Cayce who had gone undercover as well. I had also gone with Captain Cage and the rest of his team who hand located themselves at a base somewhere on the border. This was an individual job Cayce and I had been doing for them.

 _"Rachel, this is Cayce. Please respond. Over."_

"This is Rachel," I say on comm. "I copy. Over."

 _"Can you ID your location?"_

"I'm in the markets of Copacabana. Why?"

 _"Intel just leaked from one of our loyalist scouts that Alvarez was spotted at the Eastern end of Copacabana. That's where you'll need to be."_

"The eastern end? That's where all the fighting is taking place, right? What exactly is this Alvarez character doing there?"

 _"No clue. But there should be a military truck on it's way to the markets that can actually take you there. Keep an eye out. If you see it. You'll need to board it to reach the target. And remember, Rachel. Do not address yourself to your real ID. You must call yourself by your alias. You don't want to blow your cover. Cayce out."_

Well, this recon mission just gets better already. I just laugh in the face of danger when it comes to 007 super spy tropes. Better keep an eye open for that truck. Otherwise, I would've failed this assignment already.

I could overhear radio chatter from the roof of the hut of Bolivian troops fighting the insurgents. There had been a group of soldiers posted above the hut listening in on the communication channels. Aware of their units under fire from El Eterno forces. I take a look at a blanket in the shopping hut when mingling inside. I unfold the blanket to observe the design of the product. Then a small voice was heard next to me.

"That one is my favorite," said the small voice.

I turn my head to my right to see a little girl who looked no younger than ten sitting down in a corner next to the counter. She spoke in a young Hispanic accent for a Bolivian girl and looked nice and innocent for a young refugee. She had also been referring to the blanket I looked at when she said it was her favorite.

"It makes your eyes twinkle," she continued.

"Does it now?" I asked.

I put the blanket away a walked up to the juvenile before me.

"Half price if you buy two," said the girl.

"Wow."

The girl's English was pretty decent for the first Bolivian I had spoken to. I walk up to the desk where the girl runs up behind the counter to be my cashier. I was starting to like her already.

"You again?" I question. "Is this your store?"

The girl giggled.

"No, my father's," she answered.

"How much?"

"Eight hundred pesos, please."

"Eight hundred pesos?"

"Okay, okay. For you, five-fifty."

"Incredible. So...does your father usually leave you here alone?"

"No, he's away fighting the rebels."

The girl pointed at a picture frame of her father. Her dad appeared to be a middle aged man wearing a Chrysalis military jacket. It must be hard for her to have family out there fighting war.

"Oh. The Bolivian army called him up, did they?"

"He's a captain in the army."

"Really? Well...if it was my choice, I wouldn't leave you here alone. What's your name by the way?"

"Nina. What's yours?"

"Rochelle. You can call me Rochelle. You have a nice name, Nina."

I empty my pockets to pay for the blanket. I was given some pesos incase I needed money for a certain situation. I probably shouldn't spend it on an expensive blanket, but it isn't like I needed it for anything else anyhow. I put all the money on the counter for Nina to collect.

"Alright, that's three hundred...," I say emptying my money.

"Better deal," said Nina. "Four hundred pesos, plus Charcas."

Nina had noticed the Charcas figurine I brought with me. It was to be my Bolivian souvenir. No way I'm giving that away.

"Ha, you don't want this," I said. "It's broken. See?"

"You don't know the story? The Charcas were part of the Inca Empire and-"

"And the Inca Empire was once ruled by the great Pachacuti. The one who began the far-reaching expansion commanding Sapa Inca."

"Hmm, interesting."

"Anyway, it's not for sale."

I look behind Nina and see the truck Cayce mentioned on comms driving behind the hut. Definitely my cue to move out.

"Right on time," I say. "Okay, look. Six hundred pesos. You can keep the change."

I pay for the blanket with all the pesos I had left, take the souvenir with me, and rush out of the hut.

"Hey wait!" Nina called. "Hey, you need a guide."

"Oh? And what'll that cost me?" I question.

The girl smiles and chuckles. I give her a smile back to play around with her. I'm liking Nina already.

I follow the girl through a crowd of Bolivian refugees and soldiers across the markets. The markets had huts that sold jewelry, clothing, pottery, blankets and carpets, fruit and vegetable crops, and food as well. I can smell meat cooking on grills and hanging on sticks. Made me hungry.

Touring this place reminded me of the tour through Paris my parents and I took during our trip to France. Still remember the picture we took of us smiling in front of the Eiffel Tower. We got to frame it on the wall at my house in Arcadia Bay.

I could still see the truck driving past the market. Looked like it was making a stop for the exit to deliver a shipment of some kind. I peek through a pottery hut. Need to be on that truck before it goes. I take a picture of the truck with my smart phone to remember what it looked like.

"So, your Charcas?" Nina said, interrupting my shot. "How much for it, really?"

Nina had blocked my view and ended smiling for the camera in the shot. At least I got a clear shot of the truck. Too bad it ended up looking more like a friendly selfie. No thanks to Nina harassing me about the stupid Charcas souvenir."

"Not for sale," I said firmly."

I then walk through the crowd proceeding through the markets. I had scoot my way through some people to make way. I politely say "excuse me" or rather "disculpe" in their language to walk through with manners. Then Nine budges through me and bumps past me. Felt like she reached for my pocket for something. I check my pocket and it was empty. And I knew clearly what she pick-pocketed.

I march toward the Bolivian girl, clear my throat, and grab her by the shoulder to look me in the eye. She put her hands behind her back and smiles innocently.

"What?" Nina said coyly.

"Don't get me wrong," I said. "Decent technique on the lift. But I'd like my Charcas back. Please?"

Nina sighed.

"Fine," she whined.

Nina respectfully handed over the figurine and I take it back from her with ease. I scoffed.

"A for effort, kid," I said.

Nina continues following me through the crowd. I eventually reach the exit that is where the truck is parked near a bridge that would take me to the fighting. There were soldiers near the truck guarding it. The small girl grabs my hand to stop me.

"People aren't allowed across the bridge," said Nina. "It's too dangerous."

I grab onto Nina and we talk somewhere behind a corner where we're not seen.

"Listen, Nina," I say. "It's been really fun. But you need to make yourself scarce."

"I have a spare bed in the store," said Nina. "Three hundred pesos. Best deal in all of Bolivia."

"Ah, okay. No thanks. I need to get on this truck."

"Bad idea. El Eterno, they hurt people."

"Listen, I need to help my friend, okay? Tell you what. When I get back, pizza's on me. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good."

I shake Nina hand to make our deal. I still needed a way past the guards. I stay hidden behind the corner. Then the little minion runs off and calls out for the guards. I snap back at Nina and tell her to wait, but too late. Her diversion is already in motion.

"Senior! Senior!" She shouts at the guard speaking spanish. "¡Mi papa! Estábamos comiendo helado y no puedo encontrarlo! No puedo llegar a casa sin él. (My dad! We were eating ice cream and I can't find him!)

"Está bien. Está bien. (It's okay. It's okay,)" said the guard. "Que pasó? (What happened?)"

As soon as the guard is distracted by Nina who drags him away from his post by his hand, I quickly but carefully sneak past the guards and hop into the trunk of the truck carrying cargo. Where I can hide myself in until I'm in the war zone. Then the truck starts driving again leaving the refugee camp.

I peak above the tailgate of the truck to Nina pretending she found her father and dismissing the guard back to his post. Then waves at me from a distance and smiles. Wishing me good luck on this recon mission. I return her the smile and wave as I'm now entering the danger zone of Copacabana. Where I would first meet Cayce at a rendezvous point in the city. Where we'd hope to find Alvarez. And succeed.


	2. Insurgency

Chapter 2 Insurgency

March 30th, 2014

6:42 PM

Copacabana, Bolivia

Bolivar

It takes the truck a little over an hour just to reach east of Copacabana. The driver had parked it in an alley on Bolivar where immediately hopped out of the trunk before and of the insurgent could find me. To get to my target, I would need to take a walk across the slums and past the El Eterno rebels taking siege. I would if Nina's father had an operation around these parts in the war. Regardless, Cayce and I had an operation of our own for my team's sake.

I climb over a wooden fence stealthily passing through rebels kicking an aid worker on the ground like a rat. Those poor bastards. I'm out of sight and mind once I climb over. When I'm on my feet, my phone in my dress pocket buzzed and I picked it up to find a text message from Cayce attached with an image.

 **Cayce: Find this red door to the Hotel Rosario Del Lago. Av 16 de Julio. Three clicks ahead. That's where we'll find Alvarez.**

 ***Image of red door***

 **Rachel: Got it.**

Okay, red door. That's it? Better than nothing. Hear we go. Just an active war zone. Nothing you can't handle? Or can you?

I walk across the slums in this covert operation, the tenement buildings are damaged with holes in the wall, loose rebar, and cracked concrete. Your not in a movie, Rachel. This isn't one of Mr. Keaton's plays. And even if it were, I never acted in one about an insurgency. This is all for real. Just waking up and smelling the ashes knowing I'm not in Blackwell anymore. I'm in Chrysalis.

It was getting dark out and there was at least some lighting from light post that lit the way. Not that it mattered.

When I kept walking, I could see a family of three running in front of me. A man, woman, and a boy running inside a tenement through a door. There are still locals present in this danger zone. Why are they still here? God, get out while you can.

I turn right from the corner I had seen the family running to hear rebels breaching through a door an into another tenement. I can hear them all speaking Spanish and barking at a civilian inside. Before I could cross the street to come closer on the scene, a fast moving truck with an LMG turret rushed by and halted by the building. The rebels raiding the place marched the civilian out the door, tossed him on the road, spat on him, knocked his head with their guns. Then forced him into the truck for capture as he pleaded for mercy.

There had been other rebels standing guard during the raid. The both stared at me skeptically and armed with rifles. I wasn't worth the trouble obstructing their business with the poor man captured. So I walked away casually as they told me to in Spanish. It's good thing I learned Spanish in my Blackwell days. I would've understood what the bad men ordered me to do regardless. Assholes.

Even when staying out of trouble, there was more trouble to be had. Even though I never asked for it when it came. I was about to stumble upon a checkpoint guarded by rebels around the corner I needed to turn. Damn it. There was another path I could take that looked like I could get around them, but wasn't. Guess I don't have a choice.

There had been more civilians passing through the rebel guards with no trouble. I just wonder how much trouble I'd look when waltzing through and saying hi. Won't know till I do.

Once I'm close enough for the guards to see me passing through, one of them takes me by the arm. I gasp in a panic. Not it happens.

"Oye, espera (Hey, hold on)," said the guard taking my arm. "Cuál es tu prisa? Cómo sé que no contrabandeas algo aquí? (What's your rush? How do I know your not smuggling something in here?)

Of all the people who just waltz past these guards with ease who could have been smuggling, somehow I make myself look special enough for them to look or act like I am. The guard tells me to put my arms up so he could check my pockets. Like he could've done with the others.

"Brazos arriba (Arm up)," he says checking from my hip to my knees. "Peligroso salir tan tarde. (Dangerous to be out so late.)"

"Oye, dónde vives? (Hey, where do you live?") A guard with a baret asked me.

I don't answer him. The guard appeared to be a lieutenant of some sort. The lieutenant got off his seat to walk next to me. Now this was going to get dirty.

"Cuáles son tus sordos? (What are you deaf?) He muttered.

"Contéstale! (Answer him!)" The guard behind me snapped.

I pant a little in fear. The lieutenant nudged closer and closer to my face in disgust. Close enough to snap lound enough in my ear. My heart is racing and waste is stinging.

"Dije dónde vives? (I said where do you live?)" The lieutenant repeated.

"Del Julio," I answer.

A bleep on the lieutenants radio goes off. Interupting the scene. The lieutenant picks up his radio to answer.

"Estoy en medio de algo! (I'm in the middle of something!)" He said on the radio.

 _"Puede esperar (It can wait),"_ said the voice on the radio.

"Si, senior. (Yes, sir.)"

 _"Encuéntrame adentro. (Meet me inside.)"_

"Entendido. Tu conmigo. Man el arma. (Understood. You, with me. Man the gun.)"

"Senior, que hay de ella? (Sir, what about her?)" The guard checking me asked.

"Solo déjala pasar. (Just let her through)," said the lieutenant.

"Lo escuchaste. Ponerse en marcha. (You heard him. Get going.)"

The guard shove me to the side and lets me pass. For a moment there, I thought I was about to be raped to death like Jefferson once did to me. If they had, I'd at least know how to defend myself from it this time. It's pointless to bring it up. I gave the guard a nasty glance before moving. And then I walked. Lucky for them, I got somewhere to be.

I keep walking through the slums and catch sight of more civvies running around. Two women in dresses running inside another tenement as child indoors called for them and let them inside. They both ran inside through the door to hide from more rebels. This was not the safest place for these poor civvies to be in. They should be back at the refugee camp where they can be protected by the Bolivian Chrysalis militia. Too bad for them.

There was a delivery truck with it's headlights on shining through a barb-wired chain-linked fence. Where I could see the red door Cayce told me to enter through. I must be at the Hotel Rosario Del Lago my partner told me to go on Av 16 de Julio. All I needed to was find a way around the fence.

I find a way around it by proceeding further in the slums where I could see more civvies running around scarcely. Even a window next to me slam shut by someone next to me. I feel bad for these poor people who couldn't make it to the safe zone. I even saw a women and a group of children through window. The lady had been reading a story to the kids sitting around her. They must feel safe inside with a good bedtime story to quell them from the war patrolled streets.

I find my way back to the route of the Hotel through a loose fence where I crawl under the chain-linked rack. Once I'm closer to the door, I hear more guards posted by my target location. I find cover to stay hidden. There were two guards speaking spanish to one another. I wait for one of them to leave while the other approached my cover.

Once the guard is close enough to where I'm hidden, I knock him on the head with my bear fist as hard as I can and drag him over my cover as he's rendered out cold. Then I vault over my cover to take out the next guard. I take next one out by seizing his neck around my arm and breaking it. The guard drops dead on the ground when I do. And that's that.

The red door is just ahead of me. And so is another guard dragging a body around. I crouch down to keep my walking volume as low as possible and stay in cover when getting closer to the door. As I'm in cover, I could see the rebels carrying around bodies of Bolivian Chrysalis troops to a truck parked next to the Hotel. Then I feel a tremor from what sound like a bomb dropped on the place. Must be our Bolivian allies clearing the El Eterno. They could of at least given us a warning about it.

I immediately run to the door lightly on my stealthy feet before I was seen or bombed to death. The door was locked tight and I had to pick the lock open with my lock picking tool. It's a good thing I learned a little bit of lock picking from Frank. Even learned more about it when training with Chrysalis. Otherwise, I wouldn't be picking more than my nose and lips.

I glance my head towards the rebels piling bodies of friendlies into the truck for a split second as I'm lock picking. Then turn my head back to the door assuring myself I was out of sight. Eventually, the door is picked open. And then I immediately open it, walk inside the hotel, and shut the door behind me with a sigh. I grap my phone to shoot Cayce a text that I'm in.

 **Rachel: I'm in.**

 **Cayce: Rooftop**

 **Cayce: Gloria Copacabana**

 **Rachel: Got it.**

Must be another hotel of apartment building I have to enter on the rooftops. That's where I'll be.

I walk down some step across a war damaged hotel. Then there are search lights shining through the holes in the concrete. I had to avoid them if I didn't want to be caught by the rebels. I do just that by crawling under some fallen concrete and step into damp water. Then I have to walk up more stair where the guards had been. I hide behind the corrner until they leave walking out the exit. And then I walk up the stairs.

Once I'm up the flight of stairs, I walk through another door and hear more rebels scouting the hotel. One of them appears in the hall ahead of me with a flashlight in hand. I sneak up on him nice and easy, hold him by the neck, and break it open finishing my stealth kill. My ninja skills felt more stronger and more lethal than in my training courses. I still needed a way up the roof. And I believe I just found one.

There was an open window I could crawl through and shimmy on the ledge. I carefully mantle myself over the window and gently place my feet on the ledge thirty feet from the ground. A ladder had been placed on the other side of the ledge. One that looked to be used as a fire escape. That's how I'll get to the roof.

As I shimmy cautiously on the ledge, another bombing tremor pummeled the ground causing me to loose my balance and almost loose my grip. I gasp in despair tempting to catch my grip before taking a fatal fall thirty feet down. I'd like to have a sign up in the air that says "Danger Close" to give me the fair warning to stay away. Then I wouldn't have to fall down like this and kill myself in an active war zone.

I catch my breath from the near death experience and make it to the ladder. I climb up the ladder and get on the rooftop where people appear to do their landry on drying strings. I walk through the drying cloth hanging from the strings tied to polls to at last get a grandstand view of the burning city of Copacabana. Where nearly half the city has turned into a wildfire defining the war zone sparked by the El Eterno insurgency. Oh hell.

Suddenly, a harrier zooms above me out of nowhere where it flies across the city. Dropping bombs of napalm onto the tenement building sterilizing the city floor. My god. The Bolivian army isn't messing around when it comes to civil between them and the resistence terrorist.

The smoke and fire from the napakm kept fogging the sky. This reminded me of the infernal inferno I started back in Arcadia Bay. The one that robbed me of an "Ariel" Chloe once took over for me. Only more destructive.

After gazing upon the mesmerizing but cataclysmic view, I climb up another ladder on the roof. Then I notice I've taken myself in the right direction. An electronic sign lit up on the building next door. I could only read it backwards, but the letters appeared to have read my target location anyways. It was Gloria Copacabana. Not what I was picturing, but eureka.

I jump down to the rooftop next door which was the Gloria Copacabana hotel roof. Cayce was supposed to meet me here. No sign of him. Alvarez was seen here. No sign of him either. My phone buzzed again with another text and I answered it.

 **Cayce: Shift changed**

 **Cayce: Forget the roof!**

Suddenly, the door to the roof entry opens behind me. Reveal more rebels closing in behind. The same rebels who were at the checkpoint I passed earlier. They had already caught their eyes on me. It was too late for me to evade. I already let my guard down.

"Tu otra vez? (You gain?)" The rebel asked. "Estás en el lugar equivocado, chica. (Your in the wrong place, girl.)"

The rebel takes my hand again. And this time, I don't take it lightly. I instantly struggle free and strike him in the face and rib. It was time for me to face the music.

This was a three on one fight. Though Logos and Newblood trained me to fight two on one, it was time to remember my training.

I dodge every strike the rebels throw at me and strike back. I sweep one oppenent by the leg and punch the other in the stomach. Then shove the rebel over to a wooden fence to hit in the rib again. The the other guy hits me in the face to release him until I perform a quick belly role to avoid his other attacks. Then the other rebel shoves me and pins me against the fence to attack me and I shake him off by knee kicking him in the groin. And then kick him to the side to fend off my other two oppenents.

My other two oppenents overpower me. One of them seized me by the arms while the other throw a couple of strikes as I'm being subdued. Then like my training, I use both my legs to raise them high enough to kick my oppenent stricking me away. Then out of nowhere, my partner drops in to save the day like Superman and I quickly duck before him so he could kick my oppenent seizing me in the head to improvise. Knocking him down on the ground for good.

"You're late, Rachel!" Cayce snapped.

"Nice to see you too!" I snap back.

Cayce had been dressed in Bolivian clothing as well. Wearing a shirt and poncho to go undercover. More rebels entered the roof. Now it was a two on three fight. Evening the odds.

This was starting to feel like a kung fu beat 'em up film with Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. As Cayce and I attacked our next three oppenents, I now went from Prospero from the Tempest to Michelle Rodriguez from the Fast and the Furious in the brawl againt the El Eterno insurgents. I should be an action actress someday. Maybe even a stunt double with all my Karate Kid training. Cayce punched and kicked his oppenent. I punched and kicked mine. Even twirled his arm around when he blocked my punch.

Eventually, all our oppenent went down with one final blow. The two of us kicking down the last rebel together with our feet as he fumbled and faltered on the roof unconsciously. We both catch our last breaths after the fight. Then Cayce scolds me about screwing the pooch.

"What the hell was that?" Cayce asked. "I thought you were ready?"

"Oh you should relax," I said with a sigh. "You'll live longer."

"Relax? It took us weeks to track down Alvarez. The man's as unpredictable as they come. And then you let your guard down on the mission which I specifically told you not to do!"

"From my understanding, he's just a lousy warmonger with no war to fight."

"Are you even listening?! No, you don't know him like we do. He changes locations and routines by the hour. It's foolish for you to take unnecessary risks like that!"

"Me?! Let's get one thing straight. The only reason I've been sent to this shit pit of a country is so that I can go back to my shit pit of a town Arcadia Bay again! You know I never asked for this. So don't pretend I did."

"How bout we get another thing straight. I don't care what you asked for. Neither does Cage. Neither does Crosby. But if you ever want to see Arcadia Bay again, I suggest you play by my rules. Period."

We take a moment of silence with all our breaths caught. I stand in front of the electionic sign on the hotel room to take a second to calm down. Then I turn back to Cayce.

"What's it gonna be?" Cayce asked.

I let him walk next to me and give him the answer he wants to hear.

"I'll play by your rules," I say.

"He's the one with the beard," says Cayce, hand me his binoculars.

I use his binoculars to look down from the roof. Target sighted. I see the man with the gray hair and beard wearing a tan blazer and slacks. Conversating with his men and lieutenant next to him with an eye scar dressed in a track shirt and cargo pants. There was also a guy in a baret. The same one from the checkpoint who nudged at my ear. The man in the blazer had to be him. The monster himself Hugo Alvarez. Wasn't familiar with with lieutenant.

"Hm, handsome," I said.

"If you're into psychopaths," said Cayce.

"Nobody's perfect. Who's the dude with the scar?"

"That's Ranikov. Alexei Ranikov. Alvarez's lieutenant and Neo-Chrysalis leader."

"Neo-Chysalis?"

"The soviet terrorist group allied with El Eterno. That's why Ranikov is down there with Alvarez."

"How bout the guy in the baret. I think I recognize him from a check I had to pass through. Is anyone special?"

"That's Damien Almagro. Another one of his lieutenants in the El Eterno army."

"Where's base camp?"

"Top floor. Balcony."

I turn the binoculars upward and to see the balcony on the top floor of the building upfront. Above the two terrorist leaders themselves. I put the binoculars away in my pocket. Ready for action.

"Alright," I said. "Let's do this."


	3. Hugo Alvarez

Chapter 3 Hugo Alvarez

March 30th, 2014

7:03 PM

Copacabana, Bolivia

Gloria Copacabana

"Had a street route all planned," said Cayce. "But they'll be looking for us now. What do you suggest?"

"I'll think of something," I said.

I take my phone out to snap a picture of Alvarez and his lieutenants with a group of rebels by the corridor of their base camp. Then I follow Cayce on the rooftops to get to our target as the covert mission stood.

Our first obstacle on the rooftops was to be given a boost up another ladder. Since I was lighter, Cayce gave me a boost up so I could kick the ladder down for him to climb up on. Next thing we had to do was slide down a steep slope of sheet metal down to a lower roof. I'm not one for height phobia, but I also had to jump over a gap down to the lower roof as well. Something Chrysalis had trained me for. And so Cayce and I do just that with ease. Wasn't so bad once I landed my ground after sliding and jumping across.

"Now what?" I ask.

"Patience," said Cayce. "We climb up there."

"Really?"

"Really."

Turns out Cayce was about to make me climb up a wall with a bunch of lit up build boards. Once again, remembering my training. The Mary Sue I was, I jump to the wall with my partner and grip myself on a water pipe I use to climb up the boards. When I jump to the boards, the weight I put myself on one loosens it a little. Assuring they wouldn't hold for long.

"Careful on that one," said Cayce climbing on his sign.

"You sure this is safe?" I ask.

"No."

We jump off our signs and onto another roof. Next thing we had to do was shimmy over another ledge. Next thing I knew, we were off course from Alvarez's hideout.

"You realize we're moving away from Alvarez's den," I said.

"Yeah, we're taking the long way," said Cayce.

"Who's running late now."

Once we're past the ledger, we hide in some grass grown on a roof garden and see a rebel on the roof below us. Once of us were going to have to deal with him.

"I'll take him out," said Cayce.

"No, I got it," I said.

I get out of the grass and zipline across a wire using my pistol I carried and silently drop down into more grass grown on the roof the guard was standing. So I can stay hidden before dealing with him. The guard had been chatting on his radio to another guard on the channel. I approach him from behind, snap his neck open, and hide him inside the grass like a pro.

"Adequate work," said Cayce as he had just ziplined to the roof as well.

"Well, where to now?" I ask.

"Up?"

If we were to go up again, we would need to use something as a boost to go up again. And not one using our hands. There was a big red box on a cart that I could use to pull out of the shack it was in on the roof. I do just that by pulling it out of the shed it was in to place it where we need it as our stepping block. Took some muscle, but nothing like lifting weights.

We it to vault on top of the shack and jump over to a higher roof. Once we're on higher ground, I walk over to a barred window where we see Alvarez's hideout. I could see guard through a hole of blown concrete and rebar.

"That's where we need to be," I said. "But not getting through here without a blowtorch. So, now we improvise."

Cayce scoffed.

"Thought that's what we were doing already," he said.

To find our options, I decided to hop over to another sign attached to a tenement and climb around to find a maneuver. By reaching to the roof of the tenement. Cayce stayed behind as I tried to improvise.

"Where are you off to?" Cayce asked.

"Just exploring our options," I said. "Sit tight."

I climb across the railings of windows and up another pipe. I'm on the roof to see another box on a cart. If I could stroll it down, it can make useful for another stepping stone. I use my arms, legs, and muscles to pull it over to the edge of the roof where I need it to be. Ready to release it down.

"Here we go - Oh shit!" I snap.

Once I let go of the box, it lands on Cayce's ground a little harsher than I thought it would. The weight on the box was heavy enough to crash through the concrete and crumble a hole on the roof. Causing Cayce to loose his ground and fall inside the building. He hollers out loud during his fall. I panic with gasp.

"Cayce! Cayce!" I shout. "All you alright?!"

"Are you trying to kill me?!" He muttered ten feet below.

I could see him landing on his hip. Little dust, but no broken legs. He picks himself up and brushes off the dust on himself from the fall. I had no option but to drop down through the hole and rejoin Cayce. At least find the box was an effort. Just not A for effort. Rather F for failure.

"Sorry about that," I apologize dropping in.

"How bout we avoid crates from now on," said Cayce.

"Okay, good deal."

Inside through the hole, we're taken to where we want to be inside the den. But the only way to get up there was to climb up another wall pass another narrow gap between the buildings. Up ahead was more guards from above us. Must of heard the crate crash through the roof. Cayce tells me to keep my head down. Way to blow your cover again, Rachel. I'd rather be acting a cover mission in the Fast and Furious than performing one in real life.

I jump and swing across some loosing iron bars and move across a ledge to reach solid floor with Cayce. Must say, I'm a better climber than I used to be before my training. Another way I pay it forward.

When we're on solid ground and inside infiltrating the hideout, we noticed the place used to be an office building before it was war torn. Seeing the roof we sneak in to feature and computers and desktops with spinning chairs.

"There's some cheap office supplies if you want em," I said.

"You always this talkative on the job?" Cayce questioned.

"Yeah."

I've always been the talkative one in class. Not disrupting it the way Chloe used to, but rather when I raised my to answer the teacher's question. Such as with Ms. Hoida, Ms. Grant, Mr. Keaton, and even Mr. Jefferson before he became pedophilic addict.

We check our corner for guards inside the broken compound. We were almost there. Alvarez's room was just above with a small fight of stairs to go up on. Before we knew it, we were on the balcony outside the room. Reaching our target destination.

"Here it is," said Cayce.

"See? That wasn't so bad," I said.

"Uh-huh."

"It wasn't."

The door to the room was locked. It would only take me a moment to get my lock picks out and use my bobby pins to crack open the lock like a treasure box. Now I was only taking my time doing so.

"There's one," I say picking one lock.

The impatient man Cayce was, my partner improvised by shattering the glass on the doors for his to reach through and hack the lock from inside. Then the door was unlocked.

"Or that works," I admit.

"Let's find that disc," said Cayce.

I almost forgot. During this infiltration, we had to find a disc that would help us solve what El Eterno was after and what could turn the tide of the civil war they started.

When we're through the door, Cayce lends me a lantern sitting around to light the dark room. I take the lantern for myself to light the way.

"Thank you very much," I said. "Watch our backs, yeah?"

"Yeah," said Cayce.

When I've lit the place with the lantern I hold, we appeared to be walking past aisles of trinkets and treasures displayed on shelves. Bolivian statues and pottery were on display.

"Christ, it's like walking through an antique shop," said Cayce.

"He's been a busy boy," I said. "How much do you think it's all worth?"

"Enough to keep his little insurrection going for quite some time."

Every one of the knick knacks Alvarez had on display was nothing but a bunch of Bolivian artifacts. Once we're past touring the shelves, Cayce found a desk filed with maps in the room. May have found what we needed.

"Rachel," he says.

"Um-hmm," I respond.

"Come here."

"That looks promising."

"It's locked."

"Not for long."

I set the lantern on the desk and get out my lock picks again to unlock the box the disc had to be in. With a few picks and clicks, voila. The box was open. I open it, the disc is inside. The disc was made of golden material with an Incan sigil on it. We've found our luck charm. Mission accomplished.

"Bingo," said Cayce.

 _"_ _Mira alrededor! Están cerca! Aquí! (Look around! They're close! In here!)"_

We startle from the angry voices heard outside the room. Insurgents were coming our way and aware of our presence. I quickly take the disc out of the box and close it shut. Then we retreat away from the desk and hide the disc behind by back.

"Shit! Time to go!" Cayce panicked.

Before we ran out, the rebels busted through the door and held their rifles up air. We step away from the desk as I hide the disc in my pocket and the paratroopers aimed their guns towards us. One of them was Almagro. The lieutenant Cayce mentioned and the same one who nudge his face in my ear. Soon, the musclar Russian lieutenant with the eye scar named Ranikov marched in as well.

And finally, the monster of Bolivia himself. The man with the gray beard and blazer. The one, the only...Hugo Alvarez. The warlord himself smirked.

"So...these are the two rats in Copacabana sent by Chrysalis themselves," said Alvarez. "What a pleasant surprise."

The lieutenant named Almagro got fiesty with his gun, but Alvarez steadied him.

"Ah, ah, careful Damien," said Alvarez. "These tigers have claws."

"Alvarez," said Cayce.

"And you are?" Alvarez asked.

"Cayce. Cayce Foley. This is Rachel. Rachel Amber."

Alvarez approached us and turned his head to me. With an antagonistic grin.

"So your the Senorita Amber from America," said Alvarez. "Your that missing high school from that little town in Oregon who everyone believes is dead. Months of toppling government power, and they send this little woman to stop me?"

"You sound like you've done your homework, senior," I said. "Though as far as Chrysalis is concerned, I'm a ghost to everyone else but them. Sounds like you believe in ghost as well."

Alvarez chuckles.

"I have eyes everywhere outside the country," he says.

"So do we," said Cayce. "Don't take any pity from us."

"Of course, of course," said Alvarez. "Pity though. Your deaths could easily cripple the Chrysalis operation in this city."

The bearded man walks closer to Cayce's face and nudges at him in the eye.

"Why are you here?" He asks. "And this...this isn't your area of expertise."

"It is a nice collection I must say," I say. "I'm not actually and an agent. I'm just a one time volunteer."

I walk closer to Alvarez next to Cayce. Hoping he won't try anything dirty when I know he would. At least I'll know what I'm in for when he does in order to adapt my instincts.

"A volunteer," says Alvarez. "You're working with a volunteer?"

"Senior, tenemos una situación (Sir, we have a situation)," said Lieutenant Almagro.

Alvarez gives us a scoff and walks back to his men. Taking the radio from his lieutenant the check on the situation. Cayce turn his head to me and frowns.

"What?" I ask.

After Alvarez was done on the radio, he turns back to use with an angry smirk. Now we've pissed him off for sure.

"The disc," he says.

"Oh, right, about that," I say smiling. "At first, I mistook you for just...an average...rebel.

"Oh."

"But you have managed to find the Inca Empire. That's not bad. The greatest treasure - the Elysium Forge? Now that's not an easy find."

"What are you doing?" Cayce questioned.

"Three Tiwanakan invasion, three separate wars, and all these years later...no one had found it. Learned it in history class."

"We're close," said Alvarez.

"You're lost," I said. "And the only chance you have of even narrowing it down it's location is to find someone who can help you..."

I reach for my pocket. A rebel jerks his gun and Alvarez intervenes to see what I'm reaching out. I pull out the disc from the box on the desk.

"...crack this artifact," I continue.

"Someone with an extensive knowledge of Incan society," says Alvarez.

"Exactly."

"Hm. An expert in their culture and history."

"My rates are reasonable."

"A parasite...who exploits our struggle...in order to bribe her morale."

"Hm. So that's a no? Felt like a no."

Alvarez chuckles.

"You've got balas," he said. "I like that. But I don't need any so-called experts. Disparales. Lanza sus cuerpos en el río. (Shoot them. Throw their bodies in the river.)"

 **ATTACK THE REBELS - X/SQUARE/LM**

 **RUN AWAY - B/CIRCLE/RM**

"No need," I said. "We'll throw ourselves out!"

I immediately kick the desk over. Causing the lantern to shatter and spread fire in front of Alvarez in his insurgent thugs. It was time to bail.

"Después de ellos! (After them!)" Alvarez ordered his goons.

"On me!" Cayce ordered me. "Through the window!"

"Now you're talking!" I yell.

The rebels open fire and bullets come flying past. We bust through the window out of the office and we fall through sheet metal on the roofs. Away from Alvarez and his men. Though we did bust ourselves through another roof, our feet were on sturdy ground.

"Come on!" Cayce shouted. "We need to get across the river!"

We kept running on the rooftops Jason Bourne style. The rebels were still coming. Bullets were still flying. That's when we started feeling rain drops poor on us. It was now beginning to rain outside.

I zipline across another chasm in the rain between two roofs on another wire and drop and roll on the other side with Cayce. I kept running on my own feet from the pursuing insurgents. I jumped to another building and kept on running with Cayce. I tell Cayce to hurry inside the building we run in to shake off the rebels. Then accidentally fall through some more wood on the floor and landed on lower ground outside in the rain.

I was growing tired of the falling down already. At least I was able to land on my feet whenever we did. We had lost the chasing insurgents. For now.

"What the hell was that back there?" Cayce asked.

"Messy, but effective," I said.

"Were trying to sell us out to those maniacs?"

"It's called improvisation. God, who's unready now."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you let Alvarez get the jump on us! I'm starting to wonder if I'm really worth being brought back for this."

"I knew it. I knew you weren't ready. Guess a bluejay can't change her feathers."

"You know nothing about me."

"Fair warning - last person I partnered up with wound up dead. There's your river."

"Yeah, and your guy better be there."

The river was in front of our faces. And so were more rebels coming to shoot us in our faces as bullets flickered out of nowhere.

"Shit!" Cayce snapped.

"Yeah, well time to go!" I shout.

"Come on!"

"Right behind you!"

The rebels had been firing from another roof across us in rain. We jump across another roof and climb over on it. It felt wet and slippery from the rain dumping on us. So slippery, we had to slide down another narrow roof of sheet metal to jump to the next roof. It was dangerous.

As I jumped the next chasm, I hang onto the wooden balcony I try vaulting over before the wood break and almost fall off. Cayce catches my hand before I do and pulls me up. I thank him for it.

"You still have the disc?" Cayce asked.

"Yeah, keep moving," I said.

Before we kept moving, more insurgents ambushed us to take us out by hand. Cayce warns me to watch out before a rebel kick me down and another rebel seizes me.

"Oh for the love of God!" I bicker.

I struggle against my attackers grasp and eventually shake him off and perfore a quick kick in the scrotum loosen me off. Another attacker take me by the arm to restrain me and then punch him in the stomach to be released from his grasp. Cayce used his improvisation to help me fight off the angry insurgents hand-to-hand. With a few kick, punches, and headbutts, our opponent were all but KO'd.

"Glass jaws, a lot of you," I said.

"No time to gloat, let's go!" Cayced ordered.

We jump to another roof when more bullets shower on us. I jump to another sign attached to a buidling and it turn loose when I do. Then I slams against the wall and despite the slippery wetness from the rain, I climb up the next roof with all my might.

The rebels knew we were heading for the river. They were thowing everything they had at us to stop us from reaching there. In doing so, the bring out the demolition experts with RPGs to start firing rockets at us. They're joking right? A bit overkill for just two little runaways.

The rockets hit the sheds next to me that cover me from being blown into a gush. I loose my footing for second feeling the tremor from the explosions the rockets cause. Then I see another wire down in front to zipline across. I race for it, jump for it, and zip across it.

"This is going great!" Cayce yelled.

"At least it's not pouring rain!" I patronize.

The river was only one click ahead of us. And the only way to it was to slide down more sheet metal and zipline another wire. And so we slide down the slippery slope, hop onto the wire, zipline across, and drop down to the water current in the river.

We both take a big dive inside the water. Getting ourselves wetter than what the rain does. We hold our breaths as we do. Than rise out of the water to gasp for the air above. Now we were both floating on the current to nowhere in the city.

This was not how our mission had been planned out. We knew it wouldn't be the most foolproof, but at least not as problematic as this. It could be worse.

The mission was over. And now we had to wait for our boat back to base camp to pick us up. But my task to seeing Arcadia Bay again was far from done.


	4. A Mark In Dreams

Chapter 4 A Mark In Dreams

March 31st, 2014

6:06 AM

Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

19 miles from Copacabana

It had been ten hours since our evac arrived by boat to extract us from our covert operation in Copacabana. Cayce had called in a rescue boat to pick us up at the river we dived in escaping Alvarez's men. I slept in a little bunk bed after that and we were now on our way back to base camp in Tiquina. A small town unoccupied by El Eterno thirty miles from Copacabana on the coast of Lake Titicaca.

The sun was up and rising and our boat had still been sailing on the water. I woke up to see it had been six in morning in this region and asked the boatman how far were we to base. He said we were still twenty more miles out and would be docked in one hour. I sit down at a small table on the boat observing the disc we took from Alvarez while Cayce was out in the air watching the sun. He came inside to check on me.

"How are we going out there?" I ask.

"On schedule," says Cayce. "Should hit land in about an hour."

"Great."

Cayce sits down on the table to discuss what El Eterno is after while I kept analyzing the Inca disc in my hands. We stole a few of Alvarez's notes and maps from his office before we fled. Thanks to them, I just may know more about what him and his army are pursuing and why they're so hellbent on burning the entire country of Bolivia to the ground just to find it.

"The Elysium Forge," said Cayce looking at a drawing of the forge. "No wonder Copacabana was ransacked. Look at this thing. Any luck?"

"I don't need luck," I said.

"I'd say we can use all the luck we can get."

"Are you still hung up on Alvarez's so called 'expert'? Don't worry."

"If Alvarez is not in Tiwanaku already, he'll be right on our heels. Plus he's got weapons, transports, hundreds of men."

Then I just figured out our solution towards our Alvarez dilemma in the nick of time. I set down the disc and press it making it transfigure itself.

"Like I said," I reply. "Don't...worry."

Cayce smirks.

"Looks like some kind of key," he said.

"Maybe. Let's see. Okay."

I take out a book of the Inca Emperors from our bag to show Cayce what I mean. I turn the pages to the right Emperor to match the correct sigils on the disc.

"The trident was Pachacuti's weapon," I begin. "The bow and arrow was Topa Inca's...and the axe...was Huayna's."

I stop and think for a moment to review in my head what I learned in history class back at Blackwell. Ironically, it comes back to me.

"The great conquest," I said.

"What?" Cayce asked.

"The conquest in which Pachacuti lost his forge. I bet we find these symbols, we find the forge."

"Not bad, Rachel."

"Yeah, well, you can thank history class for that. I once studied Inca myths during my Sophomore year at Blackwell."

"It rubbed off. That hard studying must've paid forward. I bet you aced that test you took after studying."

"Sun's almost up."

"I'll go get ready. Nice work."

Cayce steps back outside and sit back down on the table I observed the disc at. Still thinking about how Chloe must feel about me being gone and Max taking over my shoes now. It had been six months since the two discovered what Chrysalis made them to believe what occurred to me. When in reality, I'm a ghost in the back of Chloe's head.

Whatever happens to me here in Bolivia, I had to survive. I needed to survive. I will survive. For her.

* * *

I take a nap on the bunk beds on the boat with my eyes shut, my hands crisscrossed on my stomach, my feet strait, and my head laid back. As I'm napping on the small bed, someone on the boat approaches me unanimously. Hovering over my unconsciously pretty body. Then speaks to me in a relaxed but grim voice. A voice I recognize but not a good one. It was a voice I wished I hadn't heard again.

"Rachel...," the voice begins. "Rachel...Rachel...

I feel a hand touch my arm. Someone shakes me awake. I eyelids peel slowly to a bedeviling figure. A figure of light. A figure of dark. A figure of chiaroscuro. It was him.

"Hello, Rachel," said Jefferson.

I jerk awake, reach for my holster, and quickly grasp my pistol. Aiming towards the man of my nightmares. It really was him. Dressed in the blazer with the glasses and goatee on his face. He backs away and puts his hands up between his head. I bite my lip and snarl at my psycho loco. Wanting to pull the trigger and plunge a bullet between the eyes. But this couldn't be real. I knew it wasn't.

Not only does Mark emerge out of nowhere again, but the whole deck on the boat is dark and the air feels cold as autumn. I can as well hear a strange wind echoing in my drums. Not that it mattered. I was confronting my demon again and that's what mattered. A Mark in dreams.

"Oh, Rachel," gloated Jefferson. "Don't waste your stamina with that gun. I'm not real anyways. And even if I were, you wouldn't have the nerve to use that gun in your hand anyhow."

"Even if you were," I snarl. "I would have all the nerve in the world to shoot you point blank you fuck!"

Jefferson raised his smirk. A gun was in his eyes, his hands were raised, and yet he smiled. I hold the gun with both my hands to keep him away from me and heard out whatever he had to say this time.

"Look at you, Rachel," he says. "You spend three years of your life with an obsession for LA. Then Nathan kills you with a fatal injection. And then I bury you in that landfill after your photo finish with Nathan lying down in the grass. Yet here you are sucking air. Resurrected by some corporate scientist from Chrysalis. And for what? Not to go lollygagging in Los Angeles. That's for sure."

"Don't patronize me, Mark," I said. "I never asked to be part of this and you know it."

"And now you're being sent way on a suicidal conquest hunting some Bolivian warmonger and his terrorist insurgent army. Not the correct mindset much for the great Rachel Amber I've ever known. Perhaps you would've been batter off dying the first time.

"What do you want, Jefferson? If you want to take a picture of my innocence, take your best shot. But I'm not letting you dominate me like before."

"Let's just say there was a time when I fell for Max's innocence. Max Caulfield of course. Your girlfriend's childhood bestie if I'm right."

"Max Caulfield? You brought her to that dark room too?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. In one reality, I ambushed Max in that dump in the middle night while her and Chloe were checking out your fake cadaver. That's when I drugged her to sleep and shot your girlfriend in the face."

"You shot her the face?!"

"In that one reality I did. Yes."

"What do you mean that one reality?"

"Well, that's the complicated part of the story. Long story shot, Max had these strange time traveling powers where she was capable of saving Chloe from dying and rewinding time to erase the downs and turn them into ups, believe it or not. She did use those powers to not only stop me from murdering your precious delinquent, but to rat me out to that militant David Madsen and have me busted to prison. Which is where I'm at right now locked in a death row cell for execution."

"Why are you here? This is discussion is going nowhere with you."

"Step outside with me. I'll tell you why I'm really here out here."

I may be too afraid to go anywhere with him, but I would snap out of this dream state eventually. We walk outside to the outer deck where the waters are misty and foggy. Where I also see an enormously strange tree towering the Bolivian forest. One that has a giant heart pumping in the branches. Whatever Jefferson was trying to show and tell me, I listened out loud for what it was worth.

"Time for a little show and tell, Rachel," begins Jefferson. "You see that tree up there? The one with the heart? Amazing, isn't it?"

"Your dark room was incredible," I said. "If only everyone had your definition of that."

"Don't pretend your not mesmerized too. That tree is your life. Trees are life. I'm no specialist in mother nature, but trees are part of nature. Without trees, life is futile."

"I don't understand."

"Sometimes the enemies of our enemies become our friends. And sometimes in order to keep our friends close, you must keep you enemies closer."

"Anyone would've learned that from Godfather."

"It's not as if you turned your friends into your enemies as well. Chloe Price, Frank Bowers, Nathan Prescott, Victoria Chase, and me. Don't pretend you haven't. You've been sleeping under Frank's sheets and Chloe now knows about it. Nathan drugged you that night at the Vortex party. Victoria's pissing on your grave with your fabricated carcass under it. And well, you know what I did to you."

"Skip the mind games."

"What if I told you that you could make enemies with someone in Chrysalis? What if I told you that what I did to Max is nothing compared to what someone in Chrysalis will do to her next?"

"Whoever this someone in Chrysalis is, I can't say. I'm already trusting Cayce with my compassion. Not so sure about Crosby on the other hand though. Who do you think it could be?"

"The answer is up to you."

Jefferson holds his two hands up high at the tree. I turn my head upwards at the tree to watch his hands held between where it stands.

"Life blinds us. Just like death. But death blinds with grief. With loss."

"What does life blind with?"

"Beauty."

Jefferson shifts his one hand to the left next to the tree. The when he shifts it to the right, the tree is gone. It disappears into thin air. The man was certainly telling something. Almost sounding like a warning of some sort.

"But sometimes, there's a greater beauty yet to come," he continues.

I look up at the sky to see stars appearing and sparkling above us. Like the stars from the lantern in my room Chloe lit up four years ago. Must be the greater beauty he's speaking. Or something else.

"Incredible," I said.

"Life is jealous, Rachel," said Jefferson. "It wants all the beauty for itself. That's why you need to be careful."

"Careful of what?"

Jefferson turns his head to mine. Revealing stone-like scales on the right side of his face with an evil red on the right. I gasp and drop my jaw. His face his molded with scale and his one pupil is glowing red. Definitely a warning alright.

"Of getting betrayed," said Jefferson in his monstrous voice.

The his whole face is scaled with stone. Then the rest of his body turns to stone. And then eventually shatters into stone bits and dust like a rusted statue as soon as he'd been frozen into stone. If I was to be careful of getting betrayed, who would betray me?

Only fate can decide so.

 **Note: Do you recall that one scene in Before the Storm where William talks to Chloe in a dream state and talks in riddles to her to warn her about what some speculate to be the future stakes from the original game? This dream state in this chapter is something related such having Jefferson warning Rachel about the coming stakes in my After the Storm series. Foreshadowing Max's cahoots with Chrysalis and who's to do worse to her than what Jefferson did to her compared. Which you know who and what if your one of my readers who've read ATS start to finish. No spoilers intended.**

 **As I've been busy with finals these past couple of days and haven't been able to post sooner than later, winter breaking starts next week for me and I might start posting more frequently until then. I will also find my spot to put The Lost Daughter on hiatus to work on Eternity War. Leave that all to me.**

 **Thank you. ;]**


	5. Tiwanaku

Chapter 5 Tiwanku

March 31st, 2014

7:08 AM

Tiquina, Bolivia

Tiquina Harbor

"Rachel, Rachel," said Cayce shaking my arm to wake me. "Wake up. We're here."

I jerk my eyes open to see the young man waking me up. I wake up to see the boat docked next to a pier in the harbor of our destination. We've made it to Tiquina as I slept the rest of the way. Time to get off deck. Land ho.

As the boatman welcomes us to Tiquina and we thank him for the ride, Cayce and I get off deck to step onto the pier as the boatman drives the boat away and leaves. Then no other than Captain Clayton Cage arrives on the pier to welcome us to base.

"Corporal Foley, Agent Amber," he says. "Welcome to Tiquina. Otherwise known as base camp. The safest place in Bolivia there'll ever be."

"Wasn't this place for refugees too?" I ask.

"We are keeping refugees here," said Cayce. "Most of them all camped back in Copacabana. The ones who couldn't make it there are camped here."

"It's nice the two of you made it out in one piece from your mission in Copacabana," said Cage. "We just briefed your report to Crosby. He'd like to speak with you on vidcom back at base about your next assignment. I suggest we get to it and not keep him waiting."

Cage escorts us to a jeep parked on the docks with a driver waiting for us to board. Cage gets shotgun and Cayce and I sit in the back. The driver starts the engine and drives away on the road in the small Bolivian town of Tiquina. Driving across town wasn't like driving through Arcadia Bay in Chloe's truck.

Driving through the town of Tiquina was like driving through urban warfare. Chrysalis tanks and armored trucks were patrolling the roads as civvies had been lining up in places getting scanned by troops and brought inside small building used as their homes to camp in. Both American and Bolivian units were stationed in town.

I hear things were just as bad up in Pakistan. Even the camp in Copacabana felt more like a family neighborhood. I wonder if David Madsen had to go through something like this in his Afghanistan days? He likely did.

"I feel terrible for these poor people forced to live here," I said. "You don't even want the faintest idea what I saw the insurgents do to the civvies in Copacabana."

"I think I had the clearest idea what they were doing to them in Copacabana," said Cayce. "If you thought that was bad, it's nothing compared to what the rebels do to the locals in La Paz and Sucre. One hundred percent dominant to the insurgency. The whole the country's been on the brink of civil war since President Morales's coup and every civilian in Bolivia has been forced into refugee camps countrywide since. And since then, Chrysalis has been struggling themselves into pushing back El Eterno and taking down Alvarez. Both North American and South American divisions. Am I right, Captain?"

"Right you are, Foley," replied Cage. "Just so you know, Amber, Copacabana was just the beginning. So you better bundle up for your next task that's about to get dirtier. I understand the two you have crossed paths face to face with Alvarez himself on your last mission. And you were almost shot and tossed into the river like animals."

"Does my next task involve another visit with Alvarez too?" I asked.

"You'll get the answer to that question from Crosby. Every detail about the next operation will be briefed by him."

"I look forward to it. I like this country. It's exciting."

We eventually make it to the Chrysalis military port as the driver takes us. The guard at the gate opens the gate for us so we can drive through. Then the driver finds a spot to park to jeep so we could hop out and put our feet on the ground. Cayce and Cage welcome me to base camp.

Little did we know the rest of our team had been awaiting our arrival. Sergeant Logos and Newblood as well as Major Heard approached the three of us to reunite the Alpha Team as they greeted us here.

"Corporal Foley, Agent Amber, blimey you made it out of your first operation together alive!" Newblood complimented, shaking Cayce's hand.

"Amazing seeing you here too, Newblood," said Cayce, shaking Newblood's hand.

"You two look like hammered shit," said Logos. "How's it feel to be on your first covert mission, Rach?"

"To explain why we look like hammered shit," I begin. "We just swam in a river current with toxic waste and bleeding corpses. Plus, we barely escaped becoming those corpses by Alvarez and his locos. That's how it feels."

"Better get used to it, Mizz Amber," said Heard. "Your next assignment is gonna get your hands greasier than the last."

"Don't have to tell her twice, Major," said Cage. "When we send Alvarez to hell, drinks are on her."

"Anyway, Crosby wants to speak with you on vidcom in the debriefing room at Tent 30," said Heard. "Don't keep him waiting."

"I'll be in our bunkroom at Tent 18 when you need me," said Cayce. "After your debrief with Crosby."

I go to Tent 30 as I'm told to so I can speak to Crosby in debriefing. I walk inside the tent to a debriefing table with a Bolivia map displayed and a video phone on the wall for me to contact Crosby. I dial him up on the communication screen and be ready for my next orders.

Then Crosby is on screen and sitting at his desk in his office back at the Portland HQ.

 _"Rachel Amber, glad you and Operative Foley made it in one piece,"_ said Crosby. _"I received your report about Copacabana. It may just support your next assignment with Alpha Team."_

"I may have survived one place overrun be El Eterno," I said. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna ace another."

 _"You've proven an average first impression in Copacabana, that only means your on the phase of becoming what I've expected from you."_

"They were rounding people out of their homes, tossing bodies into trucks, and collecting artifacts to fundraise their war. I had no clue what I was in for. Even caught a bird's eye view of a hellfire from the city being sterilized by our own. Reminded me of the wildfire four years back when I first came to Arcadia Bay. One that I started."

 _"I understand your first task may have gone rustier than anticipated, but that can occur to many of our first time agents. We've got a tip from one of our Bolivian units at an archeological site in Tiwanaku in the La Paz Department that could support what you found in Copacabana. The Incan disc you found specifically. They message they sent was weak, but not ignorable. What they found there could be tethered to that."_

"And which unit did this tip come from?"

 _"Captain Lupe Mendoza's unit of course. Captain Mendoza and his team discovered some Incan remnants from the site at Tiwanaku that could prove useful to only solving the mystery of that site, but also what Alvarez has been plotting to do since his overthrowing. Something code named the Elysium Forge."_

"That can't be a coincidence. Cayce and I were just analyzing Alvarez's notes we stole in Copacabana and I believe we saw a drawing this forge Alvarez wanted. Glad to hear we have a lead."

 _"While they've been at the site, we sent Dr. Hendricks and her research team down there for study. Your next assignment is to go down there to Tiwanku and help Mendoza and Hendricks crack the mystery."_

"You sent Dr. Hendricks down here to Bolivia all the way from Portland to research that site? Your only ranking science officer?"

 _"She's not my only ranking officer here at the Portland HQ. I still have my CSO Dr. Sorenson here running the show to take over her duties back home. You have your orders Agent Amber. I expect you to subordinate them."_

"Just so I'm square, our deal still stands from my next assignment onward?"

 _"We've been over this deal before, Ms. Amber. We needn't to go over it again. Your mission begins at twelve hundred. Crosby out."_

* * *

I am up in the air riding on a bird with Cayce and the rest of alpha team with our tactical gear on and all geared for the next task. The team and I ride on Seahawk helicopter with the team's pilot Lieutenant Amanda Lynch taking the cockpit. One of the best Chrysalis pilots in the line of duty as Cayce and Captain Cage say.

We fly ten thousand feet in the air above the Bolivian grasslands that take us to Tiwanku dig site. Where Captain Mendoza and Dr. Hendricks are waiting. I make sure to bring the Inca Disc with me for Hendricks to analyze and decipher it some more at the site.

The pilot named Lynch but some music on the bird's radio in the cockpit for us all to listen. She had but on "Icky Thump" by the White Stripes. Chloe and I use to listen to the hella out of the White Stripes back in my days on the bay. While my team had been dissing my jam, I preached it.

"Why do we always have to listen to this old rubbish, Captain?" Newblood complained.

"Watch you mouth, son!" Cage barked. "This 'rubbish' is your history. It should remind you jarheads what we're fighting to protect!"

"Hey, if El Eterno wanna wipe out this particular part of my history, that's fine by me."

"Yeah, better them than us," said Logos.

"You ask real nice next time you see 'em, Logos," said Cage. "I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige."

"No offense to Newblood and Logos, Captain," I said. "But I'm preaching this part of my history. It used to be my jam back in Arcadia Bay."

"Okay, kids," said Lynch at the cockpit. "LZ at the site looks clear. I'm bringing us down."

I get off my seat on the chopper next to Cayce and hang on to the safety bars above me next to him. So do Cage, Newblood, Logos, and Heard. Lynch softly sets down the Seahawk as the wind from the propellers gush forces of wind rapidly on the grass below. Once we were grounded, it was time to roll out.

"Go, go, go!" Cage ordered.

We all roll out of the helicopter with our guns up high to secure our exit and surroundings. Once we were all out, our birds takes off and we find Captain Mendoza from the Bolivian division waiting for us at our LZ in front of the Tiwanaku site.

Tiwanaku appeared to be some kind of ancient ruin that was now occupied by soldiers and researchers. The archeological sites architecture looked to be of Incan origin. Perfect lead for out mission.

Captain Mendoza stood there up front as we approached withdrawing our guns. Cayce, Cage, and I walked up to the Captain to speak with him. The rest of the team disbanded to the other troops in Mendoza's unit camped out at the site.

"Are you in charge here?" Cage asked. "What's the situation?"

"Captain Cage, I'm Captain Mendoza," the captain before the captain replies. "Chrysalis Third Infiltration Regiment. South American Division. Is this your team?"

"This is Corporal Foley and Agent Amber," said Cage introducing us. "Sergeants Logos and Newblood and my second in command Major Heard is out helping hands for the rest of your unit. How may we be of service?"

"You and your unit have just landed in the middle the La Paz Department. Every El Eterno radar within ten could be alerted to your presence."

"We just flew above enemy territory?!" Cayce panicked. "Why didn't you tell us this before!"

"We have been alerting our birds to stay below the radar, but communications have been affected. We're working on a solution as we speak."

"Military equipment always works," I patronize.

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Cage asked.

"We stay put until the American divisions send the reinforcements we requested."

"We are the reinforcements," said Cayce.

"What?! You're all they sent? I told your head of Chrysalis to send an army."

"We couldn't understand your transmission," I said. "Crosby sent us to investigate."

"That is a repetition of our task. I lost half my men fighting the insurgents just to investigate this place."

"So what have you found?" Cayce asked.

"Some strange puzzle we found at the site nobody can seem to decipher. We were told you might have something that can be used to decipher it. Dr. Hendricks is down there now with research team trying to put the pieces together."

"We stole an Inca disc from one of Alvarez's base of operations in Copacabana," I said. "Maybe that could Hendricks decipher the puzzle."

"Oh, bueno. Then you can help us after all. However, there is another task we'd like you to perform with us that involves beyond what's at this site. But our men and I need some time to rethink our plan of action. In the meanwhile, I'll have Commander Riviera escort you to Dr. Hendricks as you give us time to strategize. I'll be waiting in the debriefing tent when your ready."

The Mendoza left us on our own for his commander to escort us. Something about the face on the captain was recognizable. I somehow remember his face from a picture I saw back at the refugee camp in Copacabana. Nina told me her dad was out here fighting. Is Mendoza her father?

We talked for second before Commander Riviera could find us about what Mendoza talked about.

"Looks like things are a bit of a mess," said Cayce.

"Yeah, sounds like Alvarez is looking to get his hands dirty with Incan ruins," I said. "Just for an act of war."

"Let's just keep our eyes and ears peeled for what comes next," said Cage. "We may never know where we go from here."

"Captain Cage," said a voice close by. "I'm Commander Riviera. Captain Mendoza's second in command. He told me to escort you and your team to Dr. Hendricks. Follow me."


	6. There and Back Again

Chapter 6 There and Back Again

March 31st, 2014

12:44 PM

Tiwanku, Bolivia

Tiwanku Archeology Site

We follow Commander Riviera down underground where the puzzle Captain Mendoza said it was and where Dr. Hendricks was researching. Once the three of us enter the site underground with Riviera, we are escorted to a place where scientist and archeologist scan the underground site that appeared to some sort of underground shrine of Inca origin.

The shrine in the catacombs was decorated with Inca markings and symbols on the walls. With a distorted sigil of some kind that I assumed was the mystery puzzle Mendoza spoke of. Hendricks was there by a small turning table talking with other research members. Dressed in her archeological gear on. She sees us being escorted by Riviera as he leaves us to her.

"They're all yours, Dr. Hendricks," said Riviera. "Adios."

"If it isn't Captain Cage in the flesh," said Hendricks. "I see you've brought Corporal Foley and Operative Amber with you."

"What have we got, doc?" Cage asked. "Looks to me this isn't digging for dinosaurs."

"No it isn't. It's a sacred Inca shrine is what it is and this puzzle you see here is some kind of sigil that opens an altar. We sent you down here hoping you might have something to help us with it."

"What if I said we might have the password to unlocking it?" I asked Hendricks. "Take a look at this."

I pull out the Inca disc out of my satchel to show it to Hendricks. She raises her eyebrows at what we show her.

"Well I'll be," she said. "Where did you find that?"

"Cayce and I found this in Alvarez's collection in Copacabana. Maybe this oughta help."

Hendricks takes the disc to analyze it for a second. She could see the sigils marked on the disc that symbolized the three Incan emperors. She pressed the center of the disc to see it move around into something else.

"Fascinating," she said. "What is this exactly?"

"According to Alvarez's notes," I begin. "There are sigils marked on this disc that represent the three Incan emperors who took on the great conquest in search of the Elysium forge. Which is what Alvarez is likely after for his war in this country. There could be something in here we can use this as key."

"That can't be coincidental. My team and I have been doing analysis on this turn table here making a likely hypothesis something would fit here as a key. Only one way to find that out."

Hendricks places the disc inside and empty space on the table and disc locks itself inside. Hypothesis confirmed.

"Well that did something," said Cayce.

"Let's see what this can do," I said.

I turn the table leftwards and it turns one piece of the big sigil on the wall leftward. The sigil puzzle appeared to be Pachacuti and his trident. There were four piece to the puzzle to put intact. Three of which needed to be intact in the right place and order.

"Hmm, good thing I packed my thinking cap," I said.

There were also three other pieces to link the puzzle together. The three other pieces were hooked to a chain. I was able to unhook one of the pieces off the chain and attach it to the disassembled sigil, but leaving a gap in the puzzle for only two other smaller pieces to fit in.

I turn the table rightwards for the chained piece to hook the other chain on the right side. Now I saw what I needed to do. In order for some of the pieces to fit in, I would to place a piece or two on the right chain for the right piece from the left side of the correct size to fit inside. I do simply that by turning the puzzle back left for a smaller piece that fit correctly inside the gap. Now we're getting somewhere.

Next, I turn the puzzle back right for the piece I hooked on the right chain to fit in it's correct blank. Then, I turn the puzzle again for the piece to be hooked on the right chain so I could get the smaller piece I put in before on the right chain. And then, I turn the puzzle yet again for the bigger piece to be saved on the right again.

And finally, I get the last pieces in their right spot and position to for the Pachacuti sigil I predicted to be to reveal it's depiction. As a wise old man once said, abra goddamn cadabra. Not only did we get a complete set of the sigil, but it now appeared to be opening something hidden behind.

Everyone skimming the underground site fixed their eyes on the opening sigil that was now opening a hole. Eventually revealing an altar of some sort.

Once the small altar was uncover, there appeared to be a pedestal with a strange piece displayed. Now I knew for sure we were on to something.

"Eerie," said Cayce.

"Okay," said Cage. "We appeared to have opened up a treasure chest. Now what?"

"It's not a treasure chest, Captain," I said. "It's altar holding something on that pedestal."

I walk up to the pedestal to see the piece laid on top. I had no clue what the piece was at first. I take the piece off the pedestal without an Indiana Jones booby trap set off to examine the piece myself. Then I begin to recognize the shape. A shape of which was only part of the picture. A picture I remembered from Alvarez's journal.

I take the journal out of the bag to get a familiarity of the picture with the piece I was holding. Then I was getting somewhere. I looked at the drawing of the Elysium Forge to make comparisons. And then I was getting somewhere. I was holding an assembly piece to the forge when the shape comparison matched a part of the picture. I had found the first piece to the Elysium Forge.

"Cayce, come take a look at this," I ask him.

"What is it?" He asks walking over.

"Look what I found. It's a piece of the forge. The Elysium Forge. The little McGuffin Alvarez is obsessed about. See for yourself."

Cayce comes next to me to look at both the picture and the part of it to where the piece matches. And he agrees.

"Holy shit, Rachel," he said. "That piece does match part of the picture. You hear that, Doc? You hear that, Captain? Rachel just found a piece of what Alvarez is looking for."

"She did?" Hendricks asked.

"She did not," said Cage.

I show it to the doctor and the captain to prove it to them. The researchers in the room are interested in what I found and murmur a little about my discovery.

I, Rachel Amber, after years becoming Arcadia Bay's idol and after a whole year of my departure, still had the gift that keeps on giving to the people who encircle me. And that gift was brought to the people of this Tiwanaku site within my Mary Sue knowledge cracking the puzzle.

"I'll be damned," said Hendricks. "You really indeed found a fragment of the forge. I love it when you get your hands dirty."

"You keep telling yourself that, Dr. Hendricks," I said. "You'll sound just like the people of Arcadia back home."

"If only my family whom I lost to the storm could see who you are and what you do now," said Cage. "Like what you did then. They'd say the same. I'd say the same too."

 _"Captain Cage, this is Captain Mendoza. We've finished debriefing our plan. Come back up here when your ready."_

"We're ready, Captain," answered Cage on his radio. "We've just finished solving your puzzle thing. Ready when you are."

* * *

We walk out of the catacombs and up to the outdoor surface of the Tiwanku dig site to rejoin with Mendoza. We meet him in one of the tents where he just finished debreifing with his team. Now it was time for us to hear his plan.

"Gracias for speaking with the doctor," said Mendoza. "Our assault on El Eterno will be difficult enough as it is."

"I assume that means you've come up with a plan?" Cage asked.

"Our scouts have made reconnaissance of small El Eterno force meeting in Guaqui lead by one of Alvarez's right hand men. One by the name of Ranikov."

"Ranikov, huh?" Cage thought. "Man's a ghost. Intel leaks he's gone into the wild somewhere in the Pilon Lajas. That's nowhere near Guaqui."

"Not Alexei, senior. His first name is identified as Vladimir."

"Daddy's boy," said Cayce.

"Si, and we've confirmed a plan to find him to learn more about Alvarez's diagram. Vladimir Ranikov is the Commander of the insurgent forces in the field. Rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Riviera has got a location on the child."

"And the little punk'll know what Alvarez and Ranikov want with the forge," said Cayce.

"The sins of our fathers," said Cage.

"Ain't it a bitch," thought Cayce.

"So let me get this plain," I said. "You want us go down there, find this Vladimir dude, just so he can spit out what he knows about his comrade daddy and General Loco?"

"That is the plan, senorita. One we're hoping someone as young as you can handle. We sneak into town occupied by the rebels, what for the target's arrival, and ambush him on site. But take him alive if we're to get a word from him."

"You want us to go on foot?" Cayce questioned. "We don't have enough men."

"It does sound risky," said Cage. "Is there no other way?"

"No, but I think we can work around that. I'm going to divide my men into three teams and hit the front of town. While we've got their attention, you can sneak your shadow team in the back."

"It's a good idea," said Cage. "But your people are going to get slaughtered."

"We're tougher than we look, Captain. But it's true, I don't expect it to be easy. And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me. To help coordinate the teams."

"We'll need someone with good infiltration skills," said Cage. "Some like Foley or Amber here would make decent fits considered. If they could handle Copacabana, they'll handle Guaqui."

"I volunteer, Captain," said Cayce.

"Not so fast, Cayce," I said. "Captain Mendoza would need you the most. I'll with the rest of the team and the loyalist."

"With all due respect, Operative Amber, it's not your place to decide."

"Why is it that whenever someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?"

"Who would be better suited to the mission?" Cage asked.

"Either of these two will do, Captain," said Mendoza. "Both of them seem willing to give their lives if necessary. Though if we're lucky, such sacrifices won't be required."

 **CAYCE GOES - X/SQUARE/LM**

 **RACHEL GOES - B/CIRCLE/RM**

"Amber, I'm trusting you with the captain," said Cage. "No heroics, understood?"

"Aye, aye, Captain," I reply.

"I'll brief your team on the mission perimeter," said Mendoza. "Do you have any questions before we go, Captain."

"I have a question, Captain Mendoza," I said. "May I?"

"Ask away."

"Have you seen a girl four feet tall? Black hair, about ten years old, and wear a blue dress. I first met her in Copacabana."

"You know her? You met my daughter Nina? At the refuge district in Copacabana? When did you see her? What did you tell her?"

"Yesterday early evening before I entered the war zone in a shopping tent. I swear I didn't tell her my real name considering I'm pretty much a ghost myself. She was seemingly a nice girl. Gave her a few rupees for a small blanket. Tried to lift a souvenir out of me too."

"That's nice to hear. Is there anything more to ask?"

"We're ready when you are, senior," said Cage.

"Excellente. Then if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare my men."

Mendoza left us to gather the loyalist and prepare for the assault on Vladimir Ranikov's meeting in Guaqui. We said a few last words before the mission.

"Well, this is it," I said. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, Cayce. You too, Captain."

"We'll be fine," said Cayce. "You'll see."

"Yeah, I just...good luck."

"Is there something you want to say, Amber?" Cage asked.

"I don't know. It's just weird. Going under someone else's command. I've got used to working with you. All of you."

"Don't worry," said Cayce. "We'll see each other on the other side."

"I know. I, ah...it's been an honor serving with you two."

"It doesn't matter if we're not in the same unit," said Cage. "We're still a team. Watch each other's backs. Keep your eyes open and fight like I know you can. We'll all come out of this in one piece."

"You bet, Captain," I said.

Mendoza and Cage gathered the loyalist around for a speech before the mission. Cayce and I stood behind them with Logos, Newblood, and Heard as their voice turned on. Cage spoke in English as Mendoza translated the speech in Spanish to his men. The Bolivian Chrysalis loyalist stood before them for their pep talk.

"You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I have also heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns."

"Todos conocen la misión y lo que está en juego. He llegado a confiar en cada uno de ustedes mi vida, pero también he escuchado murmullos de descontento. Comparto sus preocupaciones."

"We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way."

"Estamos entrenados para el espionaje. Seríamos leyendas, pero los registros están sellados. Gloria en la batalla no es nuestra manera."

"Think of our heroes: the Silent Step, who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts."

"Piensa en nuestros héroes: el Paso Silencioso, que derrotó a una nación con un solo disparo. O el Ever Alert, que mantuvo a los ejércitos a raya con hechos ocultos."

"These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was a fleet. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers."

"Estos gigantes no parecen darnos consuelo aquí, pero no son lo único que somos. Antes de la red, había una flota. Antes de la diplomacia, había soldados."

"Our influence stopped quantum terrorism, but before that, we went there and back again. Our influence stopped quantum wars, but before that, we went there and back again!"

"Nuestra influencia detuvo el terrorismo cuántico, pero antes de eso, fuimos y volvimos. Nuestra influencia detuvo las guerras cuánticas, pero antes de eso, fuimos y volvimos!"

"Our influence will stop Alvarez! In the battle today, we will go there and back again!"

"Nuestra influencia detendrá a Álvarez! En la batalla de hoy, iremos y volveremos!"


	7. The Sins of the Father

Chapter 7 The Sins of the Father

April 1st, 2014

6:34 AM

Guaqui, Bolivia

Guard Station

The mission was a go at o-six hundred. I went with Mendoza and his Bolivian loyalist as ordered. Sergeant Logos ended up coming with me too. We had been split into three diversion teams. The first diversion team included me, Mendoza, and Logos. The second included Captain Cage, Cayce, and Commander Riviera. The third included Lieutenant Major Heard, Sergeant Newblood, and a few other Chrysalis troops.

I stayed behind Captain Mendoza meandering besides his men as well as Staff Sergeant Logos. With a bolt-action sniper rifle in my hand. Mendoza and Cage suggested I'd be the marksman of the team to provide sniper cover for everyone lighting up their guns. With every team in position and attack formation, I stayed behind Mendoza infiltrating the insurgent guard station taking place at an abandoned diner/gas station.

Not to mention it was April Fool's day. Though I doubt anyone had celebrated it here in this country, there would be no fooling around for me today as I would have in Arcadia Bay.

"This is the best way in," said Mendoza. "The vehicle checkpoint is directly ahead."

 _"Not bad, Mendoza,"_ said Cage on the radio. _"This will do nicely. Vulture One-Six, we're in position."_

Our pilot Lieutenant Lynch was flying her helicopter around to scout for insurgents and the incoming convoy that would be driving with Vladimir Ranikov. Lynch's call-sign was Vulture One-Six. My teams call-sign was Bravo Two. Cage and Cayce belonged to Bravo One. Heard's team was Bravo Three.

 _"Bravo One, this is Vulture One-Six,"_ said Lynch on the radio. _"Radio jammers are active, you're cleared to engage the guard station. Out."_

My team was cutting through a junkyard to get to the guard station. When we were through the junkyard and made it the fuel station, we all took position behind a garage building in front of pumping lines and the diner building. Mendoza ordered everyone including me to take a certain position. I in particular got picked the best one for sniping.

"Amber, get on that dumpster and prepare to take out the guards in the tower on my mark," ordered Mendoza. "The rest of you, sigueme."

I climb on the dumpster as I'm told to and stand on it to hover my head above the edge of the roof of the garage. Then aim my sights down towards the guards standing guard at a watchtower next to the pump lines. Standing up there casually with their guns in hand. I hold my breath on the trigger as my crosshairs are aimed at their heads. Waiting for the order.

"Amber, take them out now," ordered Mendoza.

Bang! Goes my first sniper bullet killing the guard on the left.

"Go loud!" Mendoza shouts. "Movimiento! Movimiento!"

I eject the casing from my first bullet out of its cartridge. Then lock and load the next to shoot the guard on the right with one shot and one kill. And then hop off the dumpster to start fighting open range as everyone else does.

All teams advance towards the guard station with their guns lighting up the area. Shooting the remainder of insurgents fighting back with their guns lit up as well. Defending their outpost from their resistance. I could see Bravo One and Three advancing with us to neutralize the rebels.

I alone get in range in the open skirmish and start sniping every last insurgent shooting back at us. Picking them off with one bullet to their flesh from the pumping lines to inside the diner. I make sure not to hit the pumps so I don't accidentally devastate the place into a gas nuke. Which will only attract more attention for El Eterno then we already need.

I shoot the last of the insurgents through the windows of the diner until it's all clear. And then it's all clear.

"Area secure," said Logos.

All teams fall in and regroup in front of the diner once every insurgent was neutralized. The look of the diner was pretty bleak compared to Two Whales back home. Not because it was ransacked and looted from the rebels, but because it had no theme to it that would attract more customers. Making me like Joyce's diner better.

As soon as everyone formed up, it was time for phase two of the mission to attack the convoy and capture Vladimir. Cage was the one to brief everyone of phase two.

"Alright, let's get this place sorted out," said Cage. "Change into the enemy uniforms and douse the fires. Mendoza, I need your men on the ground if the drivers start asking questions. Just keep them busy until we locate Ranikov's son. We don't have much time, so get to it."

 **Two hours later...**

"Man, you look like a clown in that outfit," said Logos. "Good thing your up here. Cuz you look nothing like an El Eterno."

"Thanks for the input, Logos," I said. "Could have said so better myself. Pretty sure they don't hire women in their army either."

Besides from the fact that I dressed better in my Prospero costume, I was forced to wear an insurgent's military uniform. Plus an army mask I had to tuck my hair inside just cover my face with. Better master of theater than disguise. So out of character for the once legendary daughter of a District Attorney and Blackwell community alike.

Logos and I stood our position on the watchtower where I sniped the guards posted here two hours earlier. Cayce and Cage were positioned on the roof of the gas lines. Everyone else, both Cage's and Mendoza's team were on the ground disguised as insurgents. Waiting for the son of Ranikov's convoy. The mission was still in motion and I was playing my part.

 _"Bravo Team, this is Vulture One-Six. I'm tracking an enemy convoy headed your way. I count six vehicles in the convoy. Over."_

 _"Roger that,"_ said Cage on comm. _"Nobody fires a shot until I give the order."_

We eventually hear the rumbling of engines closing. The convoy was only seconds away from our ambush. There were three trucks, tow tanks, and a jeep in convoy. Six vehicles together as Lynch counted. Our target was down there driving the jeep.

Our troops on the ground in disguise stepped towards the vehicles to play along. Newblood in disguise caught sight of our target in the jeep and decided to take position there.

 _"Wanker,"_ said Newblood. _"Captain, I have a visual on the target in the third vehicle. I'm walking by it right now."_

 _"Copy that,"_ said Cage. _"All teams standby. The target is in the jeep in front of the BMP. We need to take him alive. So watch your fire. Standby...standby...smoke 'em!"_

Then everyone including I start guns and blazing on the convoy. I unload my auto rifle on the trucks of the convoy shooting the insurgents running out of the vehicles and avoiding fire on Vladimir.

Cayce and Captain Cage stand up on the gas line roof and fire their bullets from above. Major Heard and Commander Riviera fired their RPGs at the tanks and blew them away sky high. Not sure how we could get Vlad Ranikov out of this intensive ambush, but we were going to.

That was when Ranikov's son called in reinforcements for backup and was about to do something fancy of his own.

 _"We got company, Captain!"_ Heard warned. _"Enemy reinforcements to the south!"_

Then Ranikov started the engine of his jeep and started driving it out of the convoy and straight toward the tower Logos and I were posted. He was going to knock the tower down by crashing his own jeep with it.

"He's gonna hit the tower!" Logos shouted. "Hang on!"

"Oh shit!" I shout. "Shit!"

We could feel the jeep impact onto the support columns as it started trembling. And then tilting down like a stack of blocks and onto the asphalt. We braced ourselves for impact as I held onto something as tight as I could until my face came in contact with the ground and was knocked out.

As soon as I started getting up and about, my ears were ringing and my head was aching. I may have just grazed my forehead during the fall. I clench my fist together, bite my lip, and raise my head to see a man in a track suit and buzz cut step out of his vehicle tempting to run away from the skirmish. Who was indeed Vladimir who had just knocked our tower down.

As our target began running away with an uzi gun in his hand, his car exploded out of nowhere causing him to loose his balance on his feet. He snarls at me face to face for a few seconds before running away from us and disappearing out of sight. Away from the guard station and into the junkyard we cut through.

My hearing recovers from the fall as I brush myself off and get up to catch the target. He was getting away and we couldn't let him.

 _"The target is making a run for it!"_ Cage warned. _"Amber, take Logos and chase him down! We'll handle the enemy reinforcements and catch up! Go, go!"_

I remove my face mask that sweat like hell and go with Logos to start running after the target through the junkyard. Where the real fun truly begins.

 _"Bravo Team, this is Vulture One-Six. I'm tracking the target. Damn, this guy moves fast. Okay, he's leaving the junkyard to the northwest. Get his ass! Move, move!"_

As I ran out of the junkyard, I chase V. Ranikov down the streets to the outskirts of town. He appeared to be running over to the downtown area of Guaqui where Logos and I were forced to chase him down.

 _"Okay, the target is moving...north. He's headed towards the outskirts of town. Be advised, this area is crawling with hostile forces. Over."_

Once we make it to where V. Ranikov was seen, who was on the streets between buildings, he runs past his fellow insurgents who protect him from chasing us. The rebels firing at us as we take cover and shoot back to keep them from slowing us down. I check my fire so I don't accidentally harm the target.

 _"Check your fire! Check your fire! We gotta take this guy alive."_

When the hostiles are clear, the target flees into an alley on the left where he was trying to shake us. I almost forgot about time sprinting power, but I didn't want to waste it to reach someone out of range. Plus, other hostiles could be surrounding and protecting him.

 _"The target is moving again. There's a side alley to the left that might let you cut him off."_

Oh good. An alley that could cut him off. That's a relief. Maybe.

Logos and I rush down into alley where V. Ranikov does. Chasing him down the alley isn't any simpler than chasing him on the streets. No one in the right mind could run as fast as the comrade in the track suit who was only a few years older than me. Weather he has track shoes on too or his natural stamina that makes him faster, he'll run out of road eventually. He couldn't run from us forever.

Another feisty task to handle in the alley is no one more than more hostiles incoming. This comrade must have the whole El Eterno army defending him.

 _"Multiple hostiles on the other side of that iron fence."_

I got into cover behind the iron fence in a parking lot build between the alleys. As Logos and I held them off as much as we could, Lynch kept directing enemy resistance at our twelve and six on her helicopter.

 _"Two hostiles coming up on your flank."_

Two boogies advanced from our six and attempted to flank us in the alley. I pick them off with a few rounds from my rifle to adapt against our flanking. There were still attacking insurgents in the lot shooting from behinds cars, through windows, and on balconies. It would take more than just two soldiers against the advancing insurgents.

 _"I got movement on the rooftops."_

"Movement on rooftops, copy!" Logos yelled.

 _"Hostiles on the second floor to your right. One guy behind the overturned dumpster."_

"Enemy by the dumpster, copy!" Logos replied.

Fighting as hard as we could past the parking lot, we fled back into the alley for even more hostiles to come. Just after the ones on the rooftops and behind the dumpster.

 _"Enemies coming your way. Alley on your left side. Two tangos. Watch for the green car around the corner."_

I was running dry of ammo for my rifle going full automatic on the tangos slowing us down. Sooner or later, we were going to need back up from Cage, Mendoza, and their men. Where's Cayce when I need him?

When the insurgent tangos were cleared from the alley, we were taken to yet another parking lot for a five story building that appeared to be an apartment building. I could see Ranikov's offspring from a distance entering the building as more rebels enforced the parking area to slow our feet. He wasn't going to get away this time.

 _"Hostiles moving across the parking lot towards the five story building."_

I had thought about doing some fancy tricks with my power to survive the onslaught. That was until finally our teams returned for us and finally caught up to catch the child of Ranikov. Talk about a sight for sore eyes.

"Rachel, Logos, over here!" Cayce called out.

"About damn time you boy scouts show up!" I mutter.

"Vulture One-Six, we're taking fire from a fortified position on the fifth floor!" Cage called on his radio.

 _"Roger that. First one's free. Standing by."_

Then some air support from Lynch on her chopper came to the rescue to hammer down some insurgents fortified on fifth floor balcony. And so she did just that by lighting up her chain guns and pummeling down the boogies on top of us like firecrackers. High score for Lynch. Drinks will be on her when we catch Ranikov's son.

 _"Okay, all targets neutralized. You're good to go."_

Every one of us advances inside the apartment building in a single file to catch our target running up to the roof. We use the stairwells to escalate ours to the top floor where V. Ranikov would be located.

 _"Bravo Team, do you have a visual on the target? Over."_

"Affirmative, target spotted entering five story building," replied Cage.

 _"Target is on the move in the north east part of the building. Second floor."_

This was going to be a very tight spot for us to be fighting in. To even the odds, we split up in different directions on different floors. There were rebels with shotguns about to blow us away from corner. That's where I needed to stay frosty.

I use my time vision to scan the floors for hostiles and there were a ton. I tell everyone to watch their corners and inform my team of where the enemy was about to flank us so they wouldn't get blown away blind.

I nail one hostile with a shotgun from a corner by seizing his weapon, kicking him in the groin, and then blowing his guts out with his own shotgun. I now evened my odds fighting close quarters with a shotgun. I auto-rifle was dry from bullets. So I now needed to rely on the pump-action weapon I swiped from the rebel I killed.

 _"Target on your left one floor above. There's a staircase in the north center."_

I take the staircase in the north center as director to keep pursuing the target. The only way he could've went. He can't have gone far.

 _"Target has moved deeper into the building. Hold on, I got these guys."_

The staircase I took had taken me to a dilapidated part of the building where the ceiling collapsed into a ramp, the roof was missing, rebar was sticking out, concrete was piled, and holes in the walls were blown into rubble.

Lynch hover her helicopter to where she could clear more hostiles in front of me with her mini guns attached to her chopper. She was more help than my powers ever were. Then my twelve was neutralized of tangos so I could press forward to the top.

 _"Okay, all target neutralized. Your good to go. I have movement on the roof. Standby."_

As I proceed to a more intact part of the building, I had no more shells for my shotgun to fend with. I only had my sidearm to use for defense. A pistol in that case.

I ran closer and closer to the roof and spotted Mendoza's men running up to the last stair case that would take me to the roof. Meaning everyone else had to be up there too. Likely having V. Ranikov cornered. The movement Lynch must've referred to.

 _"Yeah, positive ID. Target is on the roof, he's all yours."_

Target confirmed. I run up the last flight of stairs with the other soldiers single file and overhear Cage and Mendoza raising their voices at the target.

"Suelta el arma! (Drop the gun!)" Mendoza ordered. "Dejalo caer! (Drop it!)"

"I can put one in his leg, Captain," said Cayce.

"No, we can't risk it," said Cage. "Hold your fire."

Once I'm outside on the roof with everyone aiming their guns at the man in the track suit, who raises his hands still armed with a gun, I do what everyone else does. Cage orders me to be the one to finish the job.

"Amber, take his weapon and restrain him," he ordered.

But as soon as I walk closer to the target, he holds his pistol against his chin and pulls the trigger. Shooting himself dead across the head and committing suicide.

"No!" Mendoza cries.

The young Russian drops flat on the ground with blood spewing out of his head and leaking on floor of the roof. The mission had failed.

"Shit, kid's got some issues," said Cayce.

"HQ, this is Bravo Two," said Cage. "Ranikov's son is dead. We're coming home."

"Oh bloody hell," said Newblood. "His son was our only lead, sir."

"Forget it. I know the man. He won't let this go unanswered. Let's go."

I gaze down at the dead comrade waylaid in his blood puddle. Never in my life have I've seen people kill themselves like this before. Not that feel terrible for a dead man fathered by a terrorist leader as the right hand man to another terrorist leader. The sins of the father. But still it drops my jaw. The man was no good to us dead.

Crosby may have told me something about a girl named Kate who tried killing herself on the roof of the Prescott dorms at Blackwell. Until Max Caulfield saved her skin that is and stopped the suicide. Can't imagine what suicidal stunt is worse.

Then I immediately thought back to my powers again. My revival power that brought back a tiny insect I killed with the smack of my hand. Could I use it on Ranikov's son to bring him back for answers?

"Captain, hold on," I said.

I hover my hand above V. Ranikov's head with the bullet stuck to his skull to activate my resurrection power. Can't believe I'm pushing daisies for a terrorist no older than twenty-five

I concentrate on the bullet wound to dissolve the hole in his brain. As the bullet hole implodes, the blood spewing reenters his skull and eventually the man's head is intact again. Once his would his healed, the man gasps for air as he's brought back to life again.

Everyone gasps and murmurs at what I did. Of how I resuscitated our target via resurrection power. I may have just saved this mission from it's failure. The Russian punk stares at my beautiful face as succumbs his revived breath for air. That is when I give him a hard punch across the nose to knock him out. So we could interrogate and question him for answers related to his father and Alvarez.

* * *

"Why do they want it?!" Cage shouted. "Why do they want the forge?"

My team and I tied Ranikov's son to a chair as Cage played bad cop to beat the answers out of him. No one in the room we tied him up played good cop. Not even me.

"I don't know!" V. Ranikov cried.

Cage threw another punch at the man tied in the chair. I remember when I was tied to chair. At least no one struck he twice as hard. But rather took pictures of my innocent face. There was nothing innocent about this man's face though.

"That's not an answer!" Cage yelled.

"The end of time...," said V. Ranikov, coughing blood.

"What does that mean? Give me an answer! An answer! I want answer!"

"Copacabana...they're gonna destroy Copacabana...they want the forge for that..."

"Where are they? Where are they?!"

"Pilon Lajas...they're searching Pilon Lajas...

Then we heard a ring tone in the room. It was a cell phone ringing. May have belonged to V. Ranikov. Cayce spotted the phone ringing on the floor with a lit screen and reading the contact dialing. He picked it up for the captain.

"Sir, it's his cell phone," he said.

Cayce tossed the phone to the captain as he pressed the answer button for the contact calling. He held the phone by his hear to listen to the contact's voice. Then he takes his pistol out of his holster to shoot the restrained man on the chair across the eyes. Guess that's all he had to live for.

"And so he dies twice for the answers," I said. "Works for me."

"Who was that, sir?" Cayce asked the captain.

The captain hangs up the phone to answer the corporal. The caller may have hear the gunshot before the call was disconnected, but it didn't matter.

"Alvarez," said Cage. "Hugo Alvarez."

 **Note: Well folks, this is where I put The Lost Daughter on hold. As I begin to work on the second installment of Eternity War that's a little overdue, this story will now be put on hiatus until I find the write time to continue. Which may not be until Episode Two of Eternity War is complete. In the meanwhile, I look forward to the finale of Before the Storm coming out in four days away from now. So sad that it's already ending!**

 **Until next time, as always, stay golden!**

 **P.S. If your confused why I addressed the antagonist of this chapter as V. Ranikov, it was for the reader to understand his name from father and son. Vladimir Ranikov is the son and Alexei Ranikov is the father. I'll be addressing Alexei as Ranikov for the rest of the story when I continue writing it. Also note that Alexei is a recurring character from After the Storm for those who've forgotten about him and those who followed that story. As he's the weakest and even forgettable character/antagonist of After the Storm to me. Not that it matters to me, but I believe he really was. May also just be in this story as well. Just saying.**

 **P.P.S. Saw the Last Jedi last night and it - was - HELLA AWESOMEBALLS! The Empire Strikes Back of this generation! As fans have been saying and as I'm saying!**

 **P.P.P.S Wish luck on the next episode of Eternity War ladies and gentlemen and Life is Strange fans of all ages! And may the force be with me! Piece out ;D**


	8. The Next Mission

**Note: Welcome back to The Lost Daughter everyone! For those who have been following that is. Which aren't very many, specifically. After months of hard work with Eternity War Episode 2, I'm finally back into the swing of things with this prequel story that's been long overdue since the start of it's hiatus! Now that it is off hiatus, I will continue what I began back in November to finish New World Order.**

 **Without further or do, enjoy the rest of this episode while you still can! Thank you.**

Chapter 8 The Next Mission

April 1st, 2014

5:34 PM

Tiquina, Bolivia

Tiquina Port

Hours after Vladimir Ranikov's interrogation and death, Cayce and I with the rest of Alpha Team returned to Tiquina Port. The Chrysalis military camp I was being briefed at on the video phone with Crosby.

I entered Tent 30 again for another debriefing with Crosby by orders from him. I turned on the communication screen inside to contact Crosby to begin the briefing.

 _"_ _Call coming in from Crosby, Rachel,"_ said Cayce on my ear com. _"Figure you've got a few words for him too."_

"Yeah, Cayce," I replied. "I do."

Once the screen came on showing Crosby at his desk ready to speak, my ears were prepared to hook onto every word.

 _"_ _Rachel, looks like Hendricks analyzed some interesting information about that piece you found back at the site while you were tracking down Ranikov's offspring,"_ began Crosby.

"I don't like this, Crosby," I said. "Cage just killed Ranikov's son being tied down to a chair after bringing back from his suicide and now you want me to play jigsaw puzzles with an Elysium Forge? How does any of all this fit exactly? What's your game here?"

 _"_ _We're at war. El Eterno is dominating Bolivia by the dozens and every minute we waste is one more we give the enemy to prepare. And every minute you waste is another you make yourself a ghost in the eyes of everyone you love back home."_

"I know the stakes. But we're supposed to be on the same side and I can't trust you."

 _"_ _Without that information, we don't assemble that forge before Alvarez does. And you and your team may as well be dead. Vladimir needed to been taken out after interrogation. I was confident in your abilities. El Eterno couldn't have anticipated you and the team."_

"You could've told me things would get ruthless. You say I'm important, but you sure try hard to get me killed."

 _"_ _I needed El Eterno to believe they had the upper hand. Telling you could've tipped them off in any number of ways. Besides, I wouldn't have sent you in if I didn't think you could succeed."_

"You have one job: information. If I can't trust your intel, you're useless to me."

 _"_ _It's never that simple You of all people should know that."_

"I know that I'll be a lot more careful. With El Eterno and with you."

 _"_ _This is no time for petty grudges. Things are about to get a lot tougher. Hendricks confirmed our suspicions."_

Crosby took a puff from his cigarette before finishing his thoughts. Then continued.

 _"_ _That interrogation from Vladimir confirmed one of the territories El Eterno is searching to find the next piece,"_ he continued. _"Pilon Lajas to be one of the them. Parque Nacional to be the other."_

"I'm guessing you have a plan?" I asked.

 _"_ _Captain Cage and Mendoza along with Lieutenant Mason are out and about with some recon teams scouting those regions. From what we know, El Eterno is searching for temples in those regions are they're believed to be holding the other pieces to the forge. So you'll be encountering a lot of resistance from where you stand and where they are."_

"Where has Lieutenant Mason been till now? Cayce told me he'd be here on the mission and he was absent when we tracked down Vladimir in Guaqui."

Crosby put out his cigarette and grabbed his glass of scotch to sip on. And then continued.

 _"_ _Mason has been with recon units from our South American divisions until now while you, Cayce, and the other have been doing everything else. You may cross roads with him while you're there."_

Before finishing his other sentences, Crosby took his sip scotch and put his glass down on the desk. And also placed his cigarette in his ashtray.

 _"_ _Him, Cage, and Mendoza have all sighted Hugo Alvarez and Alexei Ranikov scouring the ruins of Pilon Lajas and Parque with their insurgents skimming through every corner of Bolivia to captivate their goals. Not before your goals are accomplished first."_

"The disc I found in Alvarez's cabin back in Copacabana had markings of three Incan emperors. I used it to unlock the piece we found at the Tiwanaku site Hendricks was researching. I'm pretty sure that along with the three emperors must be linked to the temples where the other pieces must be hiding."

 _"_ _If that's what your wisdom tells you, that already spells succession. The start of your succession."_

"I only believe you because I doubt you'd repeat yourself so soon."

 _"_ _It's no less a risk, Rachel. We lost contact with Mason and his teams shortly after they entered enemy territory. Initial reconnaissance revealed no clues and it was too risky to commit more boots on the grass. But now we need to find those temples before El Eterno does. Thanks to all the clues you've unshielded up until this rate. I'll forward the coordinates to Cayce on the next mission. You'll have no backup from the rest of Alpha Team this time. It'll be just you and your closest partner on the way forward."_

"You're sending in just the two of us alone? We were better off sticking together as a whole before. Especially when it come to that much resistance ahead of us."

 _"_ _The two of you did just well in Copacabana. There's reason you both should do as well now. Your next mission begins at o-eight-hundred. Give yourself some time to prepare before you rest tonight. In the meantime, you should make due with the rest of your team. They'll want to hope you good luck with Cayce on mission to Pilon and Parque. Until then, godspeed, Agent Amber. Crosby out."_

"Cayce, tell the team to meat me inside," I said on my com device. "We've got a lot to talk about."

 _"_ _Of course, Rachel,"_ replied Cayce.

* * *

Cayce gathered everyone he could inside tent. All standing around the table with the map of Bolivia. Marked with the territories El Eterno was ransacking for the pieces to the Elysium Forge. I brought the piece we found at the site as well as the disc found in Copacabana for everyone to know the situation.

The people in the tent were Cayce, Logos, Newblood, Heard, and surprisingly, Hendricks. Back from the Tiwanaku site for this meeting. I should be glad she came.

I stood there at the table with everyone else ready to explain myself of tomorrow's mission I have with Cayce.

"So Crosby sent us on the snatch and grab mission just kill Vlad," said Logos. "Could've fooled me."

"Not so certain fooled is the word I'd use for that kind of mission," assured Cayce. "Frankly, Crosby only needed the son of Ranikov out of the picture after getting what he knew out of him."

"He tries something like that again and El Eterno will be the least of his problems," I said. "Hendricks, is what Crosby says is true? Are we really risking our lives in the proper place possible to put the puzzle together?"

"My analysis is accurate, Rachel," said Hendricks. "My team at the site have hypothesis that pieces are indeed linked to that disc you used to unlock that shrine where the first piece was hidden. I've determined the approximate location of the Incan temples based on reconnaissance intel from Mendoza's men. Here and here."

Hendricks pinpointed the locations on the map with her finger as everyone looked. Pilon Lajas and Parque Nacional.

"In the middle of the bloody jungle," said Newblood. "I've had better holidays than this."

"This isn't your holiday, Sarge," said Heard. "It's Rachel's and Cayce's."

"Hendricks doesn't make mistakes," said Cayce. "El Eterno is out there and about and we know it. Believe it or not, so are the temples."

"Can't be," said Logos. "Those territories are nothing but ancient ruins and wilderness. Whoever found a temple there?"

"Unless you've part of the recon teams sent out there, Logos," said Cayce. "You wouldn't know jack. This country is as insurgent infested as it comes and this so-called Elysium Forge is the key reason why."

"Cayce is right," said Hendricks. "El Eterno has had Bolivia's numbers for months. They'll stop at nothing to get Hugo Alvarez's way whatever it takes."

"The insurgents are just servants of our real enemy," I said. "And we've all seen what they're master is capable of. They've invaded cities from Sucre to La Paz to Copacabana and so forth. Who's to say they can't rule a rain forest surrounded by ruins? No wonder nobody's ever returned from trip across the countryside."

"Don't forget about Santa de la Sierra," said Logos. "I hear things are just as bad over there like everywhere else."

"The logical conclusion is that El Eterno is preparing something bigger than what they're up to now," said Hendricks. "A superweapon perhaps. After all, these insurgents are indeed quantum terrorist know for their brutality ruthlessness."

"A superweapon?" Cayce thought. "Of what kind?"

"I don't know. But whatever the weapon could be, I fear that that the Elysium Forge is the key and they're only a few steps ahead of us from getting their needs by now."

"Just because we can follow El Eterno through the ruins, doesn't mean we can take them out. I don't want to go after them until I know we're ready."

"Sooner or later, we need to get to those ruins," said Cayce. "I say why wait?"

"The territories are overrun by the insurgency by the dozens," said Hendricks. "Maybe more. What if Alvarez is just waiting for us? We may want to build up a plan before we take that kind of risk."

"Well this is Rachel's and Cayce's outing, Doc," said Newblood. "Not ours. And it doesn't begin for another fourteen hours sharp. We're just here for the popcorn."

"The more ideas we have on our side," I said. "The better our chances of success. Cayce and I will build up a fool proof infiltration plan for ourselves while we're at it."

"It's your call, Operative," said Logos. "Whatever you decide, Cayce is with you."

"Good luck out there, Goldilocks," said Heard. "Alpha Team wishes you good hunting."


	9. Quest For the Elysium Forge

Chapter 9 Quest For the Elysium Forge

April 2nd, 2014

8:08 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

200 miles from Tiquina

Two-hundred miles out on a chopper and we land in the Pilon Lajas Forest of Bolivia. Our chopper lands on the cliffside and we hop off board all geared up on this mission to find the two missing fragments to the Elysium Forge.

As soon as our chopper leaves the drop-off point and Cayce and I make a climb up to the cliffside, we take a glorious view of the Bolivian rain forest before us. Witnessing the nicest view of Pilon Lajas from the mountains to the rivers and waterfalls. More glorious than the view of the Arcadian lighthouse. The place I met my real mother four years ago with Chloe at my side.

I would do anything to take this view with Chloe. Instead I get it with Cayce.

"This is a long way to go to settle an argument," I said.

"Just for my piece of mind, right?" Cayce asked.

I shrugged.

We continue admiring the view for a split moment. Watching birds fly in herds and mist cloud the trees. And the morning sun luminating the picture. As well as the distant sounds of Bolivian creatures playing the music to my ears.

"Well, nice view," I said.

I spot something in distance through the trees that I believe to be our target location. I swap out my binoculars to confirm my visual.

"And look," I said. "How weird."

I hand Cayce the binoculars to let him see for himself. When looking through the lenses, I know he could see the temple of where one of our missing puzzle pieces to the forge would be. Or at least some Incan infrastructure that would lead us to the ruins of the temple.

"'I'm sorry I doubted you, Rachel,'" I said mocking Cayce's words from earlier.

"This Inca?" He asked.

"Inca. It's not a modern structure so we're definitely on the right track."

Cayce hands me back the binoculars. But with a worried look on his face.

"What?" I wondered.

"I don't like it," admitted Cayce.

"You don't like anything."

"No – we've gone nearly two hundred miles with no sign of Alvarez."

"Glass half full, maybe we've got the jump on him."

"Unlikely."

"I'll find the pieces. Alvarez's on you."

"Understood. Meet you at the car?"

"Yep."

Chrysalis had left us a vehicle for us to drive in to get to the ruins. Right on the other side of the river fall where the cliff stood over.

We would need to limbo across a log between the chasm over the river to get to the jeep parked on the other end. And that's what we did.

"Ah, right where they left it," I said looking down at the jeep on the other side.

Before I walked down the cliff with Cayce, I couldn't resist but to take a photo of the amazing landscape of Bolivia with my phone I still had. Since my old phone was broken after my dark room incident, Crosby got my new one to use while managing to cover some old photos Chloe and I took over the years via Google Drive.

I snapped a photo and took the most glamorous shot of the most jarring view of a Bolivian landscape I could find. If Mr. Psycho J has thought me well, whenever opportunity unmissed, always take the shot.

I kept up with Cayce and followed him down to the jeep. Balancing ourselves across the fallen tree branch log and making it to other ground where the Chrysalis jeep is parked. The keys were inside and Cayce was to first to be there.

"Want me to drive?" He asked.

"Nope," I answered.

"I don't mind."

"I do. It's a control thing."

"Sure."

"Thing is, Chloe was always my ride home before getting my motorbike and you always drove us to our date. I drive this time."

"Fair point."

Cayce sat on shotgun, I sat behind the wheel, I turned the keys and hit the gas into the green terrain. Driving the Chrysalis vehicle through the serene landscape down the road to the Incan ruins.

"Let's just enjoy the serenity, shall we?" I asked with a sigh while driving.

"Got a dumb question," said Cayce.

"So much for that."

"How do you know the pieces are still there?"

"They would've turned up in a museum or something by now, right? Plus, I haven't seen any Incan exhibits."

"I never even heard of the Incans before this job."

"Yeah, well…that's the fault of their last emperor really. Young, reckless, flaunted by his empire's wealth. Built a new capital to house the forge. And then led the Aztecs right to their doorstep."

On the road to the ruins, I slowed the jeep down when approaching a small pond with a small waterfall herded with pink birds with thin long legs. Standing in the water as a crowd dipping their beaks in the water.

No other than a herd of flamingos standing by. I stopped the car to invest the sighting.

"Hey, look!" I pointed out. "Flamingo convention. Give me a second."

"I can wait," said Cayce.

Though this was a covert operation where there was less time to play tourist, I stepped out of the jeep to snap a photo of the flamingo herd.

I stood over some limestones by the pond to a good shot. I take my phone and snap the picture of the flamingos.

"Pink's not my signature color," I said taking the photo. "But it works for them."

"You know, they're pink because of the food they eat," said Cayce. "If they go off their diet, they'll turn white."

"What?! And you know this how?"

"I just do."

Would I do anything to wish Chloe would be here to see this. To bad she and everyone else think I'm too dead to even imagine so.

I take the wheel again and drive the jeep forward. Driving it into the shallow pond and retreating the flamingos away. Despite the disrespect of nature, the only way forward was through the small water fall pouring into the pond.

When driving through, we had to get ourselves wet a little. Like a fair ride you get wet on.

"Woo! Ahhh! Refreshing," I reacted getting wet.

"Agh, could've warned me," reacted Cayce when getting him wet.

"Aww, where's the fun in that?"

"Teenagers."

We were now driving into a little cave where we see the water fall pouring next to us right side. Oh, the great outdoors in Bolivia.

"So, it's quite nice to be outdoors, isn't it?" I asked. "Away from the city."

"Quieter," said Cayce. "You go outdoors often?"

"No, not really," I lied. "Except for when it's a dump. My home away from hell with my junkyard queen."

"The American Rust?"

"Ah-huh."

"Chloe Price?"

"Mm-hmm."

Driving past the cave under the fall and back through grassy and muddy road, we now drive into some ruins that looks to be a gate of some kind. Cayce tells me to slow down when we're up ahead.

I hit the brakes and park the jeep in front of the gate itself. We've made it to the Incan ruins at last.

"Well, look at this," I said. "Inca ruins."

"Can we get through that gate?" Cayce asked.

"I'll check it out."

The two of us hopped out and checked out the gate in front of us. The gate doors were carved with sigils of the old Incan capitals that were once settled here. The doors themselves appeared to be jammed shut and couldn't be opened by hand.

"The old capitals," I said.

"What've we got?" Cayce asked.

"Cusco…and Lima."

"I thought these were Pachacuti and Topa Inca?"

"Hm. Someone's been paying attention. Pachacuti was the ninth Sapa Inca of Cusco. The newer of the Incan capitals. Topa Inca was the eleventh Sapa Inca of Cusco and ruler of the former capital Lima."

"Well, the stone work is beautiful. But this isn't much of a defensive wall."

"Hmm. Sculptors' quarters by the look of it. We're still on the outskirts."

"Didn't take you for an archaeologist."

"When a book is titled honor student, that spells archaeologist to me."

"Does it also spell an LA dreamer too?"

"It can spell many things. Too bad my Santa Monica dream will have to wait. I'm just a Blackwell girl, remember?"

I poke my arms between the door in attempt to pry them open, but the woodwork that was jamming it was stronger than my own muscles. Still needed something practical to open the gate.

"Is the rental equipped with a winch?" I asked.

"Looks that way," said Cayce.

"Great. That'll make short work of these gates."

"What, you're just going to pull them down?"

"That's the plan. Unless you've brought dynamite."

"This is your gig."

"Take that as a no."

Cayce hops back inside the rented Chrysalis jeep as I walk up to the winch installed on the front bumper to take it and pull it towards the gate. I take the hook of the winch in my hands and pull it forward to the ancient doors.

I tie the hook around between the doors and attach the hook on the rope of the winch once it's tied around the wood jamming the doors shut. Then I walk back to the driver's seat of the jeep to put it in reverse and use the vehicle to hull the gate down.

I shift the jeep to reverse, hit the gas, and the tires vroom against the dirt road pulling down the ancient gate open with it's might. And then gate collapses down. Opening us our gateway to the ruins and reeling the winch back towards the bumper automatically.

"And there we go," I said.

I shift gears to drive and hit the peddle to the metal down to our quest for the Elysium Forge. Driving past the gate we pulled down.

Even after all the fun off-roading we've done so far, I turn to Cayce with a silent face. Wasn't sure if he was upset or bored, but that's when I wondered.

"You're awfully quiet," I said.

"I'm just surprised is all," said Cayce. "Figured you'd be more of a 'leave no trace' type when in comes to Bolivian ruins."

"Sentimentality in this line of work will get you killed."

I drive the jeep down another small cave. This time it was darker with now water under. This time, it was infested with bats hibernating inside.

When I drive the jeep inside, it startled the flock of bats away and they all flew above our hairs. Almost taking our faces off.

"Whoa!" Cayce shrieked as I drove through the flying critters.

"What? They're just large flying rodents," I said.

"Actually, no they're not."

"Yeah they are."

"They're closer to primates and lemurs."

"Okay, well, I'll look it up."

When we were past the dark cave of bats, we were forced to drive up a muddy hill where it would be hard for the jeep to drive forward. Luckily, there was some rocky substance in the mud that would help the tire gain better traction.

With no trouble at all, I made sure to drive on the rocky surfaces past the mud hill and make it to the top. Then Cayce tell me to stop the car as he spots some resistance in the distance.

"Stop!" He snaps.

I hit the breaks and park the car to where we overlook more ruins dead ahead. Alone with some El Eterno forces at hand.

Cayce stands up off his seat to view over the front window of the jeep and get a glimpse of the small insurgent force.

"Alvarez," he said.

I put the jeep in park and Cayce takes out his binoculars to find Alvarez with his men from where we stood. I even get glimpse of the insurgency myself through the front window. Praising my partner's detection skills.

"Huh, well spotted," I complimented.

"Shit," said Cayce.

My partner spotted through his lenses of Alvarez in an armored vehicle escorted his men in other military vehicles around the ruins.

Alvarez was also seen with his lieutenants. The Russian named Ranikov and the El Eterno colonel named Almagro. The people we had seen with him back in Copacabana.

By now they must've gotten word of Vladimir's death. And they're probably not too happy about us held accountable for it.

"He's brought a whole battalion with him," said Cayce. "Not to mention Alexei Ranikov and Colonel Almagro. Might even be more inside already."

"Hey, I'm flattered that he's taking us so seriously," I said. "Especially since we just murdered Vladimir. Doing damage to their insurgency already."

Cayce spotted another gate through his lens. But it was guarded by the insurgents. So we would need to be smart about our next move getting past the enemy force.

"We need to get through that gate," he said.

"Alright, well, slow down," I said. "We got to take care of these jokers first."

"You have a plan?"

"Yeah. Sure."

The plan for us was to step out of the vehicle, approach the platoon of rebels cautiously, and stealthily remove them out of the equation. Good news was, Alvarez and his right-hand men had left the scene on their armored vehicles. Bad new was, there were at least a dozen of Alvarez's men to handle.

If I've remembered anything from my training, it would be to always scan the vicinity with my nature/time vision to strategize. Using my vision confirmed my estimate of rebels to be right.

Since Cayce allowed me to be the one with the plan, I took point ahead of him as he followed me through. We both approach this cautiously as planned once I've pinpointed every enemy post with my vision.

When getting closer to the battalion, we could overhear them speaking Spanish to one another about the situation. If my Spanish was as good as I recalled, they had to be talking about the incident in Guaqi that led to Vladimir's death. Really must've stirred the hornets next plunging lead into his skull.

The first guard I take care of is one standing on the trunk of a cargo truck. Strangling him by the neck and breaking it open.

I just remember I had a silenced pistol with me and so did Cayce. I take another guard out with my suppressed weapon. One who was standing guarding a towered structure of the ruins and aiming for his head to take him out just like that.

When one other rebel standing guard in the grass takes notice of my kill, Cayce improvises by kicking him off the ledge and throwing him down pond of water to knock him down. We were still only halfway down with our stealth job.

I strangle and snap the neck open of another rebel patrolling by at his post and Cayce shoots one in the head with his silenced weapon. One patrolling the low ground.

There were only a few more guards to take out. One standing on top of the gate in the ruins and two others posted in front of the doors. Meaning only three guards to deal with.

I take the sniper guard on top of the gate out of the picture with my silenced gun and the two of us simply break the necks off the last two guard open down below. And the perimeter is secure as crazy old step-douche of my girlfriend would say.

"Oh…I think that's it," I said.

"That's the way to do it," said Cayce. "Not bad work."

Just for another photo opportunity, I snapped a quick photo of the ruins and the small temple in front of us with my phone to remember this place. Even though there was next to no time to play tourist.

When Cayce and I turned our heads to the small temple where the rebels we killed stood guard, we noticed a mechanism of some sort that could turn the gate open. A spinning wheel to be exact.

"Figure the mechanism is above the gate?" Cayce asked. "Think I see a crank or something up above the gate."

"I'll go up there," I said.

I climbed up on the gate door of the temple to reach the crank on top. When I got up there, my eyes confirmed our assumption.

"This looks to be it," I said.

As I turning the cranks around with my bare muscles to open the gate, Cayce went back to the jeep to drive it up to the ruins so we could drive our way past the gate when it opens and continue the mission on wheels.

The gate was open. Cayce was in the jeep parking it next to the doors. I released my hands and arms off the spinning wheel.

"Open sesame!" I shouted out. "Okay, bring her up!"

Cayce drove the jeep through the doors and there were more doors on my ground above the gate that opened for me as well.

I entered through them to step inside the temple. I look down below me and see Cayce in the driver's seat waiting for his partner to accompany him.

I climbed down a ladder inside and Cayce tells me to be careful. I'm always careful. Maybe not always careful.

I hop in again as Cayce lets me drive again. Letting himself take the passenger's side again.

"Right, back to shotgun," I said behind the wheel again.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving, you know," said Cayce.

"I'm sure you are, honey. I just prefer to."


	10. The Pilon Lajas

Chapter 10 The Pilon Lajas

April 2nd, 2014

8:22 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Cusco Outskirts

As soon as we're driven past the gate, we drive upon a cliffside overlooking an enlarged field of the Cusco outskirts in the middle of the Pilon Lajas rainforest. I stop the vehicle to take a quick gaze at the amazing site with Cayce.

There was a tower of some sort that stood above the ruins it was surrounded by. Perhaps a peek of the park map of the Pilon Lajas is in order to help were to go from here.

"Wow, it's a lot of ground to cover," said Cayce.

"True, but unlike your boy Alvarez," I said. "We've got an advantage."

"The three symbols."

"Let's have a look of the map."

I pull out the map we took to mark our location and see how to find the three symbols of the three emperors. As found in Alvarez's notes taken from Copacabana.

"Okay, let's see," I said while checking the map. "We are right about here. I can mark it up as we go."

I put the map away and continue driving down the hill to the field. Our first stop should be the tower as a best start to finding the three symbols.

"Check out that tower," I said on the wheel.

"Bet you can get a lay of the land from up top," said Cayce.

"Maybe."

I snapped another quick photo with my phone for another memory of visiting this country and to remember what the tower looked like before I hit the gas again.

Once we were driving through the terrain again, we still needed to make sure Alvarez and his men were out of sight. From here forward, they could be posted anywhere in these fields if they were. Considering the last post of rebels back at the gate.

"I'll keep an eye out for Alvarez," said Cayce.

"Perfect," I said. "Not that I'm too worried about him though."

"You should be. We won't have the advantage of surprise again. Don't think he was expecting much from you."

"Wait, was that a compliment? That – that sounded like a compliment."

Cayce scoffed.

"His guys are idiots," he said. "But Alvarez is…we just need to stay the hell away from him."

I drove the four-wheeled jeep closer to the tower and eventually parked next to it to get started on our search in these ruins. Cayce stayed behind while I stepped out to investigate the tower.

"Wanna climb it with me?" I asked.

"I really want to," said Cayce. "But, ah…someone should keep watch for Alvarez's forces."

"Good call."

In order to reach the top of the tower, I was going to need rope to hook onto with. I grabbed one out of our climbing gear in the trunk of our jeep to start climbing.

I took the rope from our gear, lassoed it around, and tossed the hook up to the top. Then up and away I go.

As I was climbed up to the middle, Cayce called out to ask if I was okay up here. So far, so good I was. Easy does it now.

Once I reached the top, I climbed through and opening above a door on the top to crawl inside. And I was indoors on tope of the tower. Seeing the three symbols before me.

"Here's our three symbols," I said. "Well, that took less time than expected."

The room I entered on top of the tower was surrounded by three closed doors with a lever in the center. Must be used for some kind of lift perhaps.

Observing the three symbols carved on the three doors, they were the symbols Cayce and I were looking for. Pachacuti's trident, Topa Inca's bow, and Huayna's Axe.

I open the door with Topa Inca's bow. The opening revealed a view of the Inca ruins the symbol door was aimed at. An old fortress sitting smack dab in the middle of a lake bed in the field. I jotted down a bow on the map in the spot it was located.

I walk up to the door with Huayna's axe and open it to reveal what was behind it. And behind it was another old fortress tucked into the mountainside of the field. I marked it on the map with an axe to find the location by car.

Last but not least, I walked to the trident door to open what was behind it. And another old fortress there was. Just beyond the waterfalls of the field. A trident was now marked on the pap with my sharpie marker. Time to head back down.

Instead of making my descent by rope, I decided to see what the lever in the center could do if was actually used to get back down. Once I gave it a pull, it activated a platform underneath my feet that was now descending me back to the bottom. Just as I wondered.

Guess I should've looked for a call button before climbing up. Too bad elevators didn't work that was during the age of the Inca empire.

The elevator brought me back down and I returned to the jeep. Exiting the tower and hopping back in the driver's seat.

"Well, was it worth a climb?" Cayce asked.

"And then some," I replied. "Found the three symbols."

"Really?"

"Yup. Each one was pointing towards a different fortress. Those will be the best places to look."

"Perfect."

I get the jeep started and step on the gas peddle again to find our three fortresses I marked. Driving away from the tower and toward our next target destinations.

"Never understood the appeal of people like Alvarez," I said.

"Easy," said Cayce. "He finds men who are weak and offers them power. Gives them purpose."

"Purpose? Sounds like bullshit to me. How'd Chrysalis get tangled up with Alvarez anyway? Purpose?"

"Rather not go into it."

"He certainly seemed to have a grudge on us."

"Don't remind me. Crosby would like to keep it classified if you ask me."

"Uh…do tell."

"Rather not."

"Maybe over drinks?"

"Not enough alcohol in the world."

On the road to our three destinations, there was a statue holding a trident that we approached. I hit the breaks for a moment to see what we were looking at.

It would appear the statue we were seeing was of Pachacuti holding his trident. Pointing into the direction of the fortress near the falls.

"Hey, notice anything about this statue?" I asked.

"It's holding a trident," said Cayce. "One of our three symbols."

"Yes, and it's pointing at those ruins."

"Right. Well done."

"Glad I'm good for something."

I take a quick photograph of the trident I snap with my phone before driving again. I make a better war photographer than I do a covert agent on this Chrysalis espionage mission for the Elysium forge. I should worry more about Crosby's philosophy of being there and back again as opposed to Jefferson's philosophy of always taking the shot.

Disregarding either philosophy, the mission stood and I stepped on it again. Proceeding to the falls of Pachacuti's fortress.

"Right, you're the military expert," I said. "What's Alvarez's strategy here?"

"He's spread out his men," said Cayce. "Hoping to stop us in our tracks. Not what I would do."

"So what would you do if you were Alvarez?"

"Beside lose the beard, hang back, let you do the heavy lifting, then swoop in and grab up the forge once you'd done all the hard work."

"Devious."

"Practical. Mitigates a lot of risks."

"Lucky you're on my team."

"Yeah, you are. I'm a little surprised Alvarez's not doing the same thing. Maybe his expert knows more than we think."

"Right, all the more reason to wrap this up quickly then."

When approaching the falls in our jeep, I stop and take another quick photo to remember this place. Cayce asked me to give the photos a rest and stay on task with the mission. I do as I'm told and continue driving.

Driving up the beautiful falls with beautiful magenta colored orchard trees that made want to snap the photo, we're forced to drive onto the water current of the falls and into another dark cave. But no bats.

Then we have to drive up a hill with a current flowing through with the jeep's tires trudging across the flooding terrain. This vehicle was surprisingly capable of getting us through a light current over a muddy ground.

And then finally, we made it to the top of the falls and stop the car right in front of the fortress. There was a military cargo truck parked up front too that likely belonged to the insurgents, but there were none in sight.

I put the jeep in park and the two of us step out to step in. Walking up to the fortress, the trident symbol was carved up above the entrance to get inside. Pachacuti's trident I presume.

"Check it out," I said. "It's Pachacuti's trident. Matches the symbol in the tower."

"Pachacuti, Transformer of the Inca Empire," said Cayce.

"That's…very good."

"Huh, well, figured if we were looking for his forge, I should read up on him."

"Okay, well, he's a good one to know. He began an era of conquest that within three generations, expanded the Inca dominion from the valley of Cusco to nearly the whole of western South America."

"Ah, Transformer of the Inca Empire. But why the trident?"

"His father Viracocha gave it to him."

"Very thoughtful."

"After Viracocha impaled off his human head."

"Oh."

"Yeah, we've all been there. Am I right?"

Even though there weren't any rebels sighted by the entrance, that didn't mean there weren't any rebels here at all. The cargo truck we parked our jeep next to considered. Had to keep an eye out.

"No telling how many men are in there," said Cayce. "You ready?"

"Guess we'll find out," I said.

As soon as we walked through the entrance to the outdoor fortress, I hear more voices coming from more rebels we suspected to be here. The two of us hide in some tall grass before we're detected by anyone.

"Hey, want to know how many men are in here?" I whispered. "All of them. They're all in here."

"Let's keep this quiet as long as we can," whispered Cayce.

"Copy that."

We step out of the grass the first couple of rebels on guard is one patrolling our ground and another on tower. Scoping the place with a sniper gun.

The both of us take both of them out using our silenced sidearms. Aiming for the head for a quick kill. I take out at least one other guard on patrol with another headshot of mine.

Before going further, I scan the vicinity of the fortress with my vision to pin every other guard post to relinquish. There are at least five maybe eight guards left to deal and to deal with cautiously. Spotting them with their heat auras highlighting their location.

Remember your training Rachel. Just like you've learned in the academy.

Cayce and I split from each other to cull the guards quicker. While Cayce stealthily takes his position in dealing with his batch of guards, I deal with mine by climbing up another tower with a sniper and break his neck open from behind.

I get a better glimpse of the guards standing on this small watchtower built in this fortress. Spotting more snipers on more towers and more guards patrolling in the grass.

Remembering every post from my nature vision, I kill a couple guards on the ground with more headshots. Then I aim carefully down with the sights of my silenced pistol at some guards on the towers. Taking the headshots as usual and killing them instantly.

I drop down from the tower to take on more guards from the ground below. I hide behind a corner from one guard walking down some steps in my directing. I jump him from his side, pull him towards a wall and knock him down against it.

I spot a few guards already taken out in front me that knowingly Cayce took out for me. Lying down dead on the grass with either their neck peeled or lead in their brains. The snipers who I knew were looking out the place earlier weren't there anymore. Cayce likely did the work for me as well.

Speaking doing the work for me, there were two more guards still standing I thought I could take on but didn't. The two guards were talking to one another in Spanish about what they'll do if they win their war.

I hid in some more talk grass to make myself scarce and I thought about talking that two out with my pistol. Before I did a so, a flashbang was tossed out of nowhere and went off right between then blinding the two.

Then two bullets flickered into their skulls killing the two as they dropped dead. And then Cayce appeared before me cleaning up the town. I stepped out of the grass knowing our routine stealth tactics was done.

"That's it," said Cayce. "The site's clear. Not bad Operative Amber."

"I'll take a 'not bad' from you, Operative Foley," I said. "You didn't tell me you had flashbangs. I could use one of those."

"There's some in the jeep if you'd like some for yourself. Okay, where to next?"

"Good question. Let's explore."

"What do you suppose this place was?"

"Hard to say. A fortress? Not the right layout for a temple."

I spot something in the fortress that I take interest in. A wheel of some kind in one of the structures built for this fortress.

I approach the wheel to check it out with my partner. It looked it could turn perhaps.

I try turning the wheel downward and that's not it. I try turning it up and that's not it.

"What's the trick here?" I wondered.

Then Cayce tempts to try something himself by pressing something in the center of the wheel. Which turns out to be a button of some sort that flips over something around the wheel. That was fins of some kind on the wheel itself.

I turn my head to Cayce wondering how he knew.

"What?" Cayce asked. "Looked like a button."

"Yeah, I just wanted you to have a go at something," I said.

Not only did Cayce just move the pieces on the wheel with the button, there was also a piece of the puzzle taking place elsewhere.

A tile of some kind raised open from the ground behind. I walk over it to see what it was for.

A piece of tile appeared to be in disarray. I rearrange it with a simple turn and then it's intact again. It locked itself in tight. A sign of one piece put together.

"That's a good sound," I said.

"One of the spoke on the wheel just turned around," said Cayce. Turning back to the wheel.

There were at least five spokes on the wheel surrounding the button in the center when we first saw it. Meaning there should be four tiles left to turn to solve the wheel puzzle.

The two of us split again in search of the other four tiles. I take the right side of the fortress. Cayce takes the left.

I find one tile at my side and turn it. Cayce finds another tile at his side and turns it. Two more tiles to go and the wheel puzzle is solved.

Cayce finds the second to last tile and turns. Two of us regroup and find last tile on a wall in one of the watch towers the snipers were overlooking. The last and final tile is turned and the puzzle is solved.

"That should do it," I said.

"Okay, back to the big wheel thing," said Cayce.

"Big wheel thing?"

"Whatever the – archaeological term for it is."

"'Big wheel thing' works."

We run back to the big wheel thing inside the structure of the fortress it was built at. This time when I touched the wheel, it actually turned in the direction I turned it.

Then the wheel opens a door for us to step inside the infrastructure. Which where the wheel was standing the whole the time.

"You did it," said Cayce.

"Goddamn right I – did," I said.

The door only half opened to where we now had to squat under to enter through.

"Oh, come on," I said.

"Looks like we're going under," said Cayce.

"Righty-oh."

The two of us prone under the half-opened door before it shuts behind us when we're through.

Stepping inside the structure, we see a pedestal of some kind standing by narrow edge of the fortress on top of the cliffside. Must be our ticket to solving the first bit of the three symbols.

"Ah, here we go," I said.

There is an empty slot on the pedestal that looks like a disc would fit through. The Inca disc we were carrying perhaps.

"Well, looky here," I said. "What are you willing to bet…?"

"The Inca disc would be the key?" Cayce thought.

"Gold star for you. Now let's see what it does."

The disc had fit on as expected. On the pedestal, it looked like I was solving another puzzle on a turn table. The disc can be used to match everything on the puzzle.

"What is it?" Cayce asked. "Ancient Inca jigsaw puzzle?"

When turning the puzzle around with the disc, the jigsaw puzzle was resembling Pachacuti's trident symbol. I had to make the tiles on the puzzle table match it.

"Ah, of course," I said. "I'm making a trident."

Once the trident tiles were matched, the table turned around flipping sides with Pachacuti's head. Then releasing two levers out of the pedestal as another mechanism.

"It's Pachacuti," said Cayce.

"Hello, sir," I said.

"Now what?"

"Now I guess we turn this crank and see what happens next."

"Think it's safe?"

"You know that treasure hunting is not a good gig for the risk-averse, right?"

"Neither is being an agent or soldier. Difference is, when I pull the pin on a grenade, I know what's going to happen next."

"My way's much more fun."

I take one lever of the crank and Cayce takes the other. We give the crank a turn with our levers and muscles until it stops turn and unlocks a mechanism.

The mechanism we unlock makes us feel a light tremor and hear something moving in the ground. The crank had released a small current of underneath us as we starred down at it pour from a gutter sticking out from the edge and down to the bottom level of the fortress.

Cayce then spotted an interesting sight from afar on the cliff we stood. Far out into the field as he could see.

"Rachel," he said.

"What?" I said.

"Look at that."

I take out my binoculars to spot what Cayce was seeing. What I had seen through the lenses was another gate with another water current that had been activated with the current coming from this fortress.

There were at least three gutters on top of the gate and one of them was pouring water. The other two conduits had to be tethered to the other fortresses we had yet to search. We now found out gateway out of the field in the Pilon Lajas.

"Holy hell," I said. "There's a massive relief carved into the side of that mountain. And you were worried that we were gonna turn that crank and die."

I hand the binoculars over to Cayce to prove myself right without rubbing it in.

"Guess it's good I've got Blackwell's favorite daughter with me," said Cayce taking the binoculars and looking through. "That must've been fun growing up, eh?"

"It had its moments. I learned a lot. Learned how to speak Shakespearean for a play Chloe and I went on stage together. And Inca Empire was kind of Blackwell's thing in history class. Took up a lot of my time though. More time than my super psycho mentor's photographer class."

"Oh sure. I don't take big risks without a good teacher."

"I imagine so. Like running an army, huh? That's a big responsibility."

"Second nature. Chrysalis is one of it's kind. One partnered with the Prescott Foundation."

"Family business."

"Mm. Made a real mess of it. But you should know, I read a rumor that you actually slept with that super psycho mentor of yours."

"Yeah, well…let's not bring that up ever again. Shall we?"

I take the binoculars back from Cayce avoiding a subject I thought I've ditched since the day I first died and spot the other fortresses through the lenses. Looking into the directions of them both.

"So where to next?" Cayce asked.

"There's the fort marked with an axe on the mountain there," I pointed out. "And that fort marked with a bow in the lakebed."

Cayce sighed. Feeling embarrassed about bringing up the rumor of me getting laid with Mark.

"Suppose I should've never asked about the rumor I learned between you and Marky J," admitted Cayce.

"Not much to say," I told him. "I slept with the devil and paid the price. I say no more."

The two of us now return back to the jeep. We had to lift the door open we unlocked with the puzzle that shut on us earlier.

We simply take the same path out of the fortress we used to get in. Before any more of Alvarez's men get here.

"Alright, let's find a way out," I said. "Last one back to the car buys dinner."

"I brought MREs," said Cayce.

"You're no fun."

We find the exit out of the fortress and hop back in the car. Next stop, Huayna's fortress.

"So, mountains and lake bed," said Cayce.

"Yes and yes," I answer.

I drive the jeep back down across the falls through the water currents. The vehicle drove faster down than it did up.

On the way down, I thought about what Cayce brought up at the fortress at random. Nearly taking offense of what he said.

"Hey, just so you know," I said. "You don't bring up Mark Jefferson ever. Between my post-traumatic events, hallucinations, and nightmares about him, I really can't afford another anxiety issue again."

"If I offended you, I apologize," said Cayce.

"Why did you ask to be a thing with me?"

"I'm not one to look a date at prom night. You're the one who decided to be a thing, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I also remember that I've been a thing with Chloe Price. Not to mention one with Frank Bowers pulling a double-cross on her. Now that we've actually slept with one another, I've officially pulled a triple-cross on them both. And you're the one who seduced me."

"Seduced you? We really going that far? Was Jefferson just as seductive too?"

"Cayce!"

"Sorry! Sorry. Is there a plus side to this?"

"Oh, when people have low expectations, it's much easier to take them by surprise. As far as I'm concerned, this 'thing' between us isn't entirely official. Only Chloe and Frank. Which one of whom doesn't know I've been dumping. I hope."

"Were you always a thing with Chloe?"

"Mostly."

"How old were you when you were first together?"

"Fifteen. It all began on train ride to a park where my dad reunited with my birth mom. When we ditched school together."

"And Frank?"

"Frank and I weren't always together. On again, off again sorta deal. We had our moments, but not as many as I had with Chloe."

When I had driven the jeep all the way back down the falls, I drive through more grass, more dirt, and more puddles to get to the other fortresses. Which would be Huayna's fortress as our second.

Before we continue the route to Huayna's fortress, there was a statue holding a bow and arrow we were passing by. I stop the car to see a statue of Topa Inca aiming his bow towards his fortress. Perhaps we would go there instead.

"Hey, notice anything about this statue?" I asked.

"It's holding a bow," said Cayce. "One of our three symbols."

"Yes, and it's pointing at those ruins."

"Right. Well done."

"Still good for something."

"Suppose we'll have to climb up there?"

"Yeah, that's usually how it goes."

I take a quick photo op of the ruins with my phone and reroute the jeep to Topa Inca's fortress. The place we'll be using as our secondary destination instead.

I drive the jeep up the hill of the fortress until we see the entrance. There was no sign of Alvarez's men or any of his transports. Meaning the insurgents may not have arrived here yet.

"Looks clear out here," I said.

We hop out of the car again to walk up to the entrance of Topa Inca's fortress. Approaching the entrance, there's the symbol above. That which is Topa Inca's bow.

"Look up there," I said. "That's Topa Inca's bow. Spotted this on the tower too."

"So…To-pa In-ca."

"To-pa In-ca."

"Topa Inca. Right. Who was he again?"

"Okay, eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire, fifth of the Hanan dynasty, and tenth of the Inca civilization. Belonged to Qhapaq panaca that was one of the clans of the Inca nobles and married to Mama Ocllo."

Cayce chuckled.

"And I thought I had it bad with marriage," he said.

This time, in order to get inside the fortress, we would need to get through another jammed gate that we would need the winch on the jeep to open. I walk back to the jeep to grab hold of the winch and pull it towards the gate.

I hook the winch up around the wood jamming the doors tightly. Then I hop inside the driver's seat to reverse jeep for the winch to pull the doors down.

With doors pulled open, I hop out of the car and the two of us walk inside. Upon entry, there was a big cliff over heads that would be holding the higher platforms of the fortress. One that we would have to climb on.

"Hmm, now where do we go," said Cayce.

"Up," I said. "We go up."

This time, we climb without using the rope or any other climbing gear. This time, we climb using exposed edges on the cliff itself.

I remember on Mount Hood ten years ago, before I broke my arm, my dad and I had to climb up by hand. It was scary at the time for a ten-year-old, but still used climbing gear to hold us up. I'll never forget the safest moment of my life that day when I was being carried by my dad. The more I think about the father he was then, the less I think about the father he is now.

With no gear in use, Cayce and I climb up the cliff using our arms and legs holding onto every lose edge exposed on the cliff. Only this time, I was a nineteen-year-old brave enough to do so. Call me Rachel the Cliffhanger.

The two of us make it to the top using all our muscles in the world to climb up like Spider-Man. I take Cayce's hand to help him over the edge when we're on solid ground.

"At least we've got somewhat of a head start over Alvarez," said Cayce.

"We better make it last," I said. "Besides, it doesn't matter who starts. Only who finishes."

"Fair point. Think Alvarez's men know what they're looking for?"

"Not from what I can tell."

"Good. Happy to have one advantage at least."

We walk over a flight of steps in the ruined fortress. Elevating ourselves higher up to our objective. I assume we would find another lever that would release another current somewhere ahead.

When we're high enough to spot an interest point, I spotted a bridge that would take us to a little tower that must be where the next lever is. No doubt about it.

"See that?" I asked.

"Looks like another faucet," said Cayce.

"Let's find a way up."

We reached the ground up to the bridge and walk through more ruins to get to it. Fortunately, the lever was just ahead of us. Unfortunately, it was barriers by wooden gate we would need to open first.

"Our spigot is right on the other side of this gate," I said.

"We need to get this gate open," said Cayce.

"I saw a crank in those ruins. We can use that to open it."

I walk back to the crank we passed by as Cayce waits by the gate for me to open it. The crank was a spinning wheel sticking out of the ground waiting to spin around for use.

When I stand by the crank, give it pulldown with my arms and hands to open the gate in front of Cayce. The gate door opens upward as I turn the crank wheel towards me. And then the gate is open.

The two of us walk through the gate, across the bridge, and up a flight of steps to the small tower where the spigot is. Waiting for us to use.

It was the same drill as before. A turntable to solve a jigsaw puzzle using the disc as a key and tool to solving it. Only this time, it was Topa Inca's bow. Just like Pachacuti's trident.

"Alright, I'm guessing it'll be a bow this time," said Cayce.

"Good guess," I said.

When turning the puzzle around with the disc in it's slot, it was a bit trickier than the trident puzzle. When turning one particular tile and locking it, the tile would move when I switched to another tile when it that one moved to. I was going to half to time every tile right to solve the puzzle.

I time every tile as accurate as possible. It didn't take a lost but not forgotten pride of Blackwell to achieve this.

The puzzle is eventually solved and complete. Forming the bow and flipping the table around to the other side. Revealing Topa Inca's head sculptured in. As well as extending the two levers on the spigot.

"And look at that," I said.

"Topa Inca," said Cayce. "Right, let's turn the water on."

"Whoa, whoa. What's to say it's not different this time? What if it's fire or something?"

"You're messing with me."

"I'm totally messing with you."

The two of us take position on the levers and turn the around to release the next current. The levers are locked on and ready to release the conduit of water.

The water pours out of it's gutter below us and we see the second conduit of water spilling out from the relief at a distance. Two down, one to go.

"I'm a little disappointed it wasn't fire," I joked.

Cayce scoffed. Looking at the waterfall pouring out of the relief as far as his eye could see.

"Another waterfall," he said.

"Yeah, it's two out of three now."

I picked up my binoculars to watch the water flowing onto the mountainside relief. One more conduit and we've bought our ticket out of this field of ruins.

"Inca went to an absurd amount of trouble to hide the forge," said Cayce.

"Well, the forge was the symbol of Inca dominance," I said. "Representing their wealth and their might."

"A nice trophy for the Bolivians."

"Yeah, or maybe it's some kind of mystical weapon to unleash mystical world or something."

"What do you mean?"

"It's called the Elysium Forge. Elysium was a heaven-like world based on Greek mythology. A world gifted by the gods who would pass judgment to those who were worthy to live there after death. A world of the afterlife to be specific."

"How would Greek mythology combine with Inca? Wouldn't they both have their own origins and beliefs?"

"The Greeks weren't the only one to believe in life after death and Greeks weren't the only ones allowed to enter the bliss of the afterlife. There's also Valhalla. An afterlife of Norse mythology. The Fortunate Isles from Greek. And then there's the underworld. A hellish afterlife believed by many mythologies where the souls of the departed go to die. Based on perdition and retribution by some consequence."

"So what comes of this forge? Could it actually be a weapon to unleash a fairy tale if that's Alvarez believes in?"

"I don't know. Every piece of intel we've ever gotten in this country has leaked every possibility and likelihood that he could. Only time may tell. And here we stand on the outskirts of Cusco. That's pretty funny."

I peek through the lens of my binoculars to spot out last destination in the ruins. Huayna's fortress built in the mountains.

"Last stop, the fort embedded in that mountain," I said. "That'll be the one with the axe."

Conveniently enough, a well of stairs descended next to us as soon as we activated the conduit. Leading us straight back down to where we parked the jeep.

The two of us walk down the stairwell and hop back inside the jeep. Driving to our final destination. And not the movie franchise, but the road to Huayna's fortress. Hitting the gas back on the green and brown roads.

"Just the one by the mountain left," said Cayce.

"Indeed," I said.

On the road to Huayna's, we discussed the sense of why Alvarez needed the forge. Consider our last discussion about it back at Topa Inca's.

"Makes more sense why Alvarez's after the Tusk now," said Cayce. "Figured he just wanted power. Like any other quantum terrorist."

"He'll use it to rally people to his cause," I said. "Wave it in the government's face."

"Just like all the other times."

"This has happened before?"

"Oh yeah. Ever since the dawn of ISIS and Al-Queda. Even Neo-Chrysalis were acquainted too."

"How 'bout the Taliban?"

"Not many stories about the Taliban. Probably another story."

"You know, I think I read a legend about the Inca back in Blackwell. Ever since the young emperor was lost to the Aztecs, everyone's wanted to lay claim to it. To this land."

"And here I thought we were just going on a treasure hunt."

"We are. Let men like Alvarez fight over it. It's none of our concern."

"Fighting wars was my concern for a time."

"Good point. But you did it for job findings."

"Usually."

"What about when the Prescott Internship recruited you to Chrysalis's cause?"

Cayce chuckled.

"Definitely a job grab," he said. "Hardly worth the trouble."

"Ouch," I said. "Why do it then?"

"Needed to establish my rep, eh. Figured I'd start with the best of the bunch."

"Nowhere to go but up after that."

Driving within three miles down the field of ruins and from the last fortress, we find Huayna's statue and stop by it. Holding the axe pointing in the direction of his fort.

"Notice anything about this statue?" I asked.

"It's holding an axe," said Cayce. "One of our three symbols on our disc."

"Yes, and it's pointing at those ruins."

'Right. Well done."

"Always good for something."

"Pretty secluded location."

"Be glad we have my impeccable sense of direction."

"Impeccable something."

I kept driving down Huayna's path. Where his statue was aiming.

The one thing Cayce never spoke of since we arrived here in Bolivia was our first visit to this country. Which is what he brought up next on the road.

"Beautiful out here," said Cayce.

"This your first visit to Bolivia?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm guessing it's yours too."

"Four years ago, when Chloe and I were together, I asked her what destination best suits Chloe Price and Rachel Amber. My thoughts were either Los Angeles, New York, or the Open Road. Chloe voted Los Angeles. My Santa Monica dream yet to come true."

Cayce chuckled.

"As a kid, I always dreamed of visiting New York," he said. "Riding a ferry down to Liberty Island and seeing the Statue of Liberty. And the Empire State Building. And the World Trade Center. Until 9/11 hit."

"Not a lot of perks in my dreams of becoming an actress or model, but travel is definitely one of them."

"Where have you been?"

"Ugh. Where haven't I been?"

"Whichever question works for you."

"All I've ever been is my home town of Long Beach where I was born and grew up. Until my family and I moved to Arcadia Bay so my dad would run as the District Attorney there. Then there's Blackwell where I was six weeks away from graduation before dying in a horrid dark room. And then there's the American Rust. My home away from hell with my junkyard queen. And where I got stabbed by Damon Merrick's dagger. And where I was buried with an overdose that gave me a comatose in my system before my resurrection. No thanks to Marky J and Nate P."

"I meant someplace special."

"Well, in my tween years, my parents and I did make a few trips to LA and San Fran. My first time seeing the Hollywood sign and driving across the Golden Gate bridge."

"So you've actually been to LA before and that's the place you wanted to be an actress or model?"

"Who knows? Maybe when this is all over, I'll become a television personality of some kind. Like Kim Kardashian."

Cayce scoffed with a smirk.

"There are no personalities like the Kardashians," he said.

"I'm sure Kanye West told himself the same before his marriage with Kim," I said. "Before I know it, Chloe and I could become personalities of our own. At least that's what I kept telling her before I was taken away. Maybe I'll be personalities with Frank instead since Chloe's with Max now. I hope she's taking good care of her for as long as I remain a ghost to them."

"That is true."

"What about you? Where do you want to go?"

"I did say New York, but Seattle isn't too bad itself."

"Nice choice. Beautiful there. That's the place Max moved to six years ago after Chloe's dad passed."

"Well it's no superior to New York. It's a city that never sleeps and the Space Needle is another dream come true of mine."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, that's on the bucket list too. You should go when we're done here."

"Someday. I have other things to attend to first. So do you."

We were getting closer to the last fortress and I snapped another quick picture of the third fort with my phone camera. Without Cayce griping about it.

The two of reach our last stop in the ruins by car. No sign of rebels or vehicles. Meaning they haven't hit this site either.

We drive up a rocky hill towards the fortress and stop the jeep in front of the gate entrance. We hope right out and see the symbol of Huayna's axe above the gate doors. Just like the other two symbols.

"Hey, look," I pointed. "Huayna's axe. Man, glad I climbed that tower, eh?"

"Huayna," said Cayce. "A mountain in Peru was named after him, right?"

"Yes, and he was also the third Sapa Inca long before Topa Inca and Pachacuti."

"Who else was he exactly?"

"He was born in Tomebamba. Sixth of the Hanan dynasty and eleventh of the Inca civilization. His original name was Tito Husi Hualpa."

"So Huayna was his alias then?"

"Exactly."

Once more with gusto. We were going to need the winch again one last time to pull down another jammed gate for the forth time in a row. I love off-road winch pulling.

I knew the drill. Bring the winch forward, tie it and hook it around the wood board it from behind, and put the jeep in reverse to pull the doors down that I did. Except this time, Cayce insisted to pull it down for me and I allowed him.

Cayce put the jeep in reverse and pull it down with the vehicle mighty vrooming tires spinning backwards. The doors are pulled down in an instant and we're free to enter.

"There, see?" Cayce asked behind the wheel. "I know how to drive."

"Sure," I said. "In reverse."

"Your welcome. Well, in we go."

We went inside the fortress with no complications whatsoever. The inside did appear to be fascinating however.

There was a small pond with open fresh air above where we would get across the pond with a small bridge. There was also some Inca statues inside carrying weapons in their hands. Not as depressing as Topa Inca's fort to say the least.

When we got closer to the next spigot, there was a towering view of the lookout tower in the middle field I used to find the fortresses earlier. I snap of photo of it with my phone.

And finally, the last pedestal was in front of us. I commenced the same drill as the first two times. Put the disc in the slot, use it to match the puzzle, and turn the levers around to release the current.

"Let's make an axe," I say putting the disc in its slot.

I start rearranging the tiles only to know the trick from the puzzle. That wasn't fair.

Nevertheless, the Mary Sue I was, there was no stopping my from putting any pieces together at any cost. Against all odds, I solved the axe puzzle and the table turn over to Huayna's head. Releasing the levers as before.

"Nice to see you, Huayna," I said to myself.

"C'mon, let's get this over and done with," said Cayce.

"Yep."

Except this time when turning the levers together, my lever broke off and I fell to my knees. Even more unfair.

"See, I told you it was dangerous," gloated Cayce. "You hurt?"

"Just my dignity," I replied.

Cayce chuckled. If two levers couldn't get the job done, at least one lever can finish what it started.

I get up and help Cayce with his lever. Pushing it around forward together and unlocking the third conduit.

"Here we go," said Cayce.

"Let there be water," I said.

We step toward where more water falls through it's gutter. I take out my binoculars again to overlook the relief.

Now all three conduits were dumping water and accounted for. Three for three it was.

"And now that's three," I said.

I smiled and turned to Cayce with my binoculars off.

"You know, you're pretty good at this whole treasure hunting thing," I said. "For a covert mission that is."

"I'm a quick learner," said Cayce.

"Hm. One question though. I reckon you can pretty much do anything you want. Why are you so keen to stay with Chrysalis? And why does Crosby really want me to do this?"

"Seriously? Chrysalis is a once in a lifetime career given to me by the Prescott Foundation. Crosby, however, is my boss and I have orders from him to keep you under my leash when I'm asked to. And you're asking me why I want to stay with Chrysalis and why Crosby wants you to do this?"

"Yeah. I am. I know we've been over this, but I still don't trust Crosby. Never have. Even though I am trusting you."

"Then let me ask you this. Why so keen on living in LA? It's not like it wouldn't have killed you anyway."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult, but whatever."

Without answering Cayce's question properly, we stood there in silence watching the falls. I remembered I was still carrying the Charcas figurine I carried with my two days ago back in Copacabana in the markets.

I take the figurine out of my pockets and toss it up and down in the silence. Cayce shook his head. Still frowning over my dumb question.

"Alright, what the fuck is that thing you keep playing with?" Cayce questioned.

"It's my stress toy," I answered. "It showed up in the mail a few weeks after we got to Brasilia. Alright, we better get a move on. We don't want Alvarez to get ahead of us."

On the way back to the jeep, I had more to say to Cayce and I told away.

"You know, I've had my fair share of screw ups," I began. "You just pick yourself up and move on."

"I don't like to fail," said Cayce.

"No one does, Cayce. No one. Let's head back to the car."

There was another stairwell below us to use a shortcut way out back to the jeep. We took it down to return to our vehicle as last time.

The two of us get in the jeep and I drive us toward our gateway out of here. The last stop we need to visit before leaving the outskirts.

"Look, for what it's worth," said Cayce while I drove. "It's your kick ass reputation that got you this job. If you failed the initiation, Crosby would've sent you straight home."

"Pfft, so all I had to do was fail my training and I'd get to see Chloe again?" I asked.

"Not on purpose, wiseass."

"Honestly though, it's nice working with a man like you for a change."

"Ha, too right. Not many of us out here. This one trainee I trained with demanded to speak to the man in charge. Then tried backing out when the drill sergeant informed him he was running the show."

"Ugh, what did he do?"

"It was a she. Lieutenant Major Heard was my drill sergeant and she broke both his legs."

I almost laughed out loud.

"Oh my go – you're not kidding," I giggled.

"Just trying to level the playing field," said Cayce.

"Oh, don't cross Heard."

Cayce laughed.

"I should put that one on my business card," he said.

"Can't you just walk away?" I thought. "Just be done with Chrysalis?"

"I was born into it. I don't have a choice."

"Oh, there's always a choice."

"Not when someone has to make it for you, there isn't. Not at all."

"Right, let's go see what the deal is with those waterfalls."

"Rachel, need to ask you something. It's important."

"Go ahead."

"You and Chloe Price…professional relationship?"

"Mostly professional."

Cayce laughed again.

"God, how…how?" He wondered.

"How?" I snarked. "Other than Frank Bowers, Mark Jefferson is perhaps the least professional. As well as Nathan Prescott who had a crush for me since we first met. Not to mention Steph Gingrich who probably graduated without me."

"You always spoke of Chloe as if she was the love of your life. You made Frank, Mark, and Nathan sound like a means to an end."

"They weren't all too bad. Too bad Chloe doesn't know I had my ways with the other three. She'd be pissed at me if she found out. I hope not."

"Didn't this Max girl used to be Chloe's love life too?"

"First of all, I wouldn't use the term love life. Just childhood bestie since they were eight or nine. Secondary thoughts, I hardly new Max at all beside from pictures of her and Chloe dressed as pirate brats. With Chloe's deceased biological father and pet cat who dressed as such too."

"She had a pet cat?"

"Named it Bongo. She has him buried in her backyard. Got ran over by car only months before her dad was run over by a drunk big rig driver running past an intersection with a red light."

"That's pretty deep to lose a pet and a parent in the same year."

"Chloe had two pets actually. A goldfish of some kind that didn't die in the same year. But her fish and cat were both pets she wanted as pirate wannabes. As far as I was told. The fish tank is still in the attic. As far as I recall."

"That's all I can ask for I suppose. But I have to ask. Did you two take turns talking or did you just talk over one another?"

I scoffed. Disregarding another question from Cayce. The conversation was done as it was.

I kept driving further down the road to the relief falls. Up a muddy hill and closer to our exit out of here.

And there it was. The Inca mountain relief itself. Pouring the water we dumped onto it flowing like rain. Through the currents and on the gutters it was dumping into.

We hop out of the vehicle to take a good glance at the site. All the hard work we've put into it up until now. Ready to find out what to do from here.

"Magnificent," said Cayce. "How long do you suppose it takes to carve something like this?"

"Years," I said. "Decades even. The Inca certainly did have a knack for stonework."

"And war it seems."

"That too."

There were carvings on the stone representing gestures of war. Men riding horses with swords in hand, soldiers holding spears to impale people, you guess it.

"They must've…made these to commemorate their victories against the Aztecs," I said.

"Looks like they put up a good fight," said Cayce.

"They did. Pity it didn't last. But their loss is our gain, right?"

"That carving looks familiar."

"That carving is an exact match for the disc."

Looking at the disc I held, the carving indeed matched with the images on the disc. That would one clue as what to do next.

"So what does that mean?" Cayce wondered.

"I don't know yet," I said.

I turn around behind me to see another spigot in front of the stonework. One with lever already sticking that could be a way to know all meant. To unlock something inches away from our footing.

"But I'm guessing…we should give that a try," I finish. "Shall we dance?"

"Try not to break it this time," reminded Cayce.

"Sassy."

The two of us get on our levers and start pushing forward.

Once the levers are locked in, we hear cracking noises close to use. The stonework appeared to be opening in plain sight.

"What the hell?" Cayce wondered.

And so opened our gateway exit out of these ruins in the Pilon Lajas. Our one-way ticket to paradise.

The structure opened precisely like two gate doors letting us through. The big doors snapped apart some wooden vines and leaf branch sticking out of the stonework. I laughed in the face of eureka.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," I said.

"Huh, can't say I was expecting that," admitted Cayce. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Just, um…taking it all in."

 **Note: In case your wondering if I'm seeing Avengers: Infinity War this weekend, I'm not. AHHH! Not to worry folks! I'll be seeing it the proceeding weekend! Better late than never! Lol. But whoever's seeing it, NO ONE SPOIL IT! Thanos demands your silence at once!**

 **In the meanwhile, I'll be having finals to prepare for as my second year in college is about to come to a close in two weeks. So it may be another week before the next chapter is posted. All the reason this chapter took over a week to write. Another reason was to sort of develop some more chemistry between Rachel and Cayce since the dynamic between the two hasn't been as strong as Amberprice. And since this story has been the weakest of my fiction yet. But that won't bother me.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	11. The Great Battle

Chapter 11 The Great Battle

April 2nd, 2014

9:09 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Cusco Outskirts

After our successful exit through the gateway out of the field of ruins, we continue the mission on foot and leave the jeep behind for choppers to pick up later. We weren't able to radio HQ for pick up, but they always had choppers who had clearance in the warzone to find our rented vehicle themselves.

The gate behind us begins to close. Concealing us from our rear and allow us entrance to somewhere more mesmerizing than the last site of ruins.

Within a few more footstep in the Pilon Lajas Forest, we were walking up another vast siting on a cliffside overlooking a breathtaking site of two Pachacuti statues between a massive waterfall. And there it was. Pachacuti's temple of Cusco within our seeing.

Cayce and I take and nice grandstand view of our destination that awaits. The place carrying the second piece to the Elysium forge as we suspected.

"Oh my god," said Cayce bedazzled.

"Welcome to downtown Cusco," I introduce. "The last know resting place of the Elysium Forge. Or the second fragment of it to say the least."

"Spectacular."

I place my hand behind my head, touch my hair, and take an exhale of breath for a moment of silence enthralled by the view. Observing the statues between the falls.

Then I caught something that felt off about the falls. Between where Pachacuti's statues stood, it looked as if something was once there centuries ago. I take the disc out of my pocket for comparisons.

"Hmm," I said, analyzing the disc and falls.

"Hmm what?" Cayce wondered.

I hold up the disc in front of the falls between the statues to show Cayce. Knowing there were statues on the disc as well.

"Doesn't it look like there's a dam or something between the two Pachacuti statues?" I asked.

"Must've been eroded by the falls," figured Cayce.

"So how do we get in?"

"Hang on."

Cayce pulled out his binoculars to analyze the statues on the falls himself. Knowing he was onto something too.

Looking through the lenses, he spotted something on the crown of the left statue.

"Yeah, look at the crown," he said. "It's not wear and tear."

Cayce lends me over the binoculars to look for myself. And he was right. The crown was exposed with a hole on top. A way in perhaps? Or rather a watchtower? Or both?

"You're right," I admitted. "Maybe it was a watchtower?"

"Bet that's how the Aztecs got in," said Cayce as I lend him back the binoculars. "You should take a picture. Send it to Chloe."

"Great idea, Cayce. I'll just send it right over to Chloe's number so she'll think a ghost sent it to her. We both know you're being a smartass. Am I right?"

"Can't say you're wrong."

"I thought so. Just take the picture right and you'll have her see it as a parting gift to your resurrection when you're off the hook from Chrysalis."

"That'll be the last thing I do before I even let her accept the fact that I still have a mouth and nose to breath with. I may know a lot about the Inca, but that personally wouldn't be my parting gift regardless."

"Right, a postcard from LA would be your parting gift instead."

"About half an hour ago you were bickering about me taking pictures. Now you actually have the pleasure to do so?"

"A much worthy of a pic to take than all the other ones combined. That's for sure. In my opinion that is."

"Shall we, uh, head over to Cusco?"

"Yeah, c'mon."

For my pleasure or for Cayce's, I snap quick a pic of the Cusco falls with the Pachacuti statues with my mobile phone and we keep on walking on the cliffside. Up to downtown Cusco we go.

"Hard to believe it's real," I said.

"Imagine what it took to make this," said Cayce. "The craftsman. The engineers."

"Yup, their work still stands. But they're…gone. Maybe their emperor should've used their wealth to protect his people and not make such an inviting target."

No matter how much work was put into the infrastructure of Pachacuti's inner sanctum, there was some damage that had been done in the war between the Inca and Aztecs. They were called ruins for a reason.

As usual, there was gonna be a lot of climbing to get done if we were to get up to that hole in the crown. Climbing down to climb up to summarize our efforts.

Cayce found some stairs to take us down. Or what was left of them.

"Found the stairs down," he said. "What's left of them anyway. Any thoughts how we get up to the crown?"

"Did you bring the helicopter?" I snarked.

"Left it at home."

"Bummer. Then I guess we're climbing."

First thing we did was find a tree branch to swing across a chasm over the falls. We used our climbing ropes to start playing George of the Jungle and swing to the side. Looking out for that tree in front of us. If there was one in front of us. No pun intended.

I jump onto another ledge on a cliff to shimmy and climb down on to climb up as well. The two of us make it across the chasm and climbing up and down the cliff to reach the platform above.

Once our feet were on a flat surface, there was much more swinging, climbing, and jump to be down to even get as far as the hole in the crown. This should be more fun than Mount Hood.

"Okay, where to now?" Cayce asked.

"Look for a way up," I replied.

On the way up, we could see some structures of the sanctum beneath the falls. I shot a quick photo of the falls between the statues for a closer angle and imagery.

The statues themselves were even more impressive up close. And we were about to get closer.

The first step we did to getting higher up the statues was swinging across another tree branch with our rope and jump onto the hand of the statue on the right. The next step was walking up then hand and shimmying across a ledge to the other hand.

"You sure it's safe?" Cayce wondered.

"You know, you keep asking me that," I asked. "It'll save us both some time if you just assume it's not."

Once we've shimmied across the ledge with our tight fingers, we climbed of the fingers of the statue's left hand to use as climbing to continue our ascent. Cayce was ahead of me and the first to get up on the flat surface. Which was the palm of the statue's hand.

I grabbed Cayce's hand so he would help me up and atom and vault over the edge. No broken limbs so far.

"Thought you said Pachacuti was the transformer of the empire?" Cayce asked.

"He's more happy to place it in your way if he thinks he'll benefit," I said.

"That why the Inca chose him for Cusco?"

"He's also the Lord of Honor. The one you pray to for prosperity and success."

"Got it. That's cool."

The reach the statue with the broken crown, we were going to have to swing across our biggest chasm yet. If you think Newblood and Logos didn't train for this, you'd be wrong.

When I swung across, I thrived the beautiful of swing across a thirty-foot chasm with a woo-hoo. Cayce however when he swung reacted as if he were dropping a thousand feet on a rollercoaster. Could be worse.

Since it was really the only way across, I found it fun. Cayce found it the craziest thing he'd ever. Whether it'd be in a good way or bad way, he would let me know later.

We had grasped ourselves onto the right hand of the left statue with the broken crown. Climbing on more stone fingers then shimmy across to the other hand.

This time, the left would be holding a stone trident in his fingers. We climbed up of ledges on Pachacuti's trident up to the point of solid ground good enough for our toes.

"You're doing great, China," I told Cayce while climbing.

"Thanks, I'll be doing better when we get to the crown," said Cayce.

"Surprised we haven't seen Alvarez yet. Knock on wood."

"Oh, he's around. Doubt we'll see him up here."

"Why's that?"

"He doesn't have the stones to climb up this high."

I laughed.

We climbed up higher and higher on the trident until we reached the top. When we were closer to the top, I spotted someplace we can enter through the crown.

"I think I see a place we can swing over to the crown," I told Cayce. "Just a little further to go."

Before we went to our swing spot, we climbed up between the forks of the trident and leaned against them. Gazing over another bedazzling view of the mountain in the Pilon Lajas.

We smiled and entranced at the overlook of the landscape in our faces. Charmed once again of another peaceful site in Bolivia. Even though it was at war.

"Worth it?" I asked.

"Impressive," replied Cayce.

"Yeah."

"Now…how do we get off this thing?"

"Okay, easy does it."

I carefully reached for my phone to snap a picture of the view and Cayce leaning against the forks.

"Really?" He questioned.

"When are you gonna be back here?" I thought.

I see the wooden branch that wood take us to the crown. We lasso up our grappling ropes and swing across the platform to get us inside.

We climbed up a few more ledged to reach our entrance. Before we knew it, we made it there at last.

"Alright, feels more sturdy up here," said Cayce.

"Don't jinx us," I warned. "Here's our way in. Courtesy of the Aztec army."

We slide down a dirt slide to get inside the statue through the holed crown. Then landed on our feet for our successful entry.

"Wow, nice shot," I said.

"Aztecs must've had a trebuchet," said Cayce.

"Trebuchet?" I thought. "Can't you just say catapult like a normal person?"

"A trebuchet is a type of catapult. It can handle heavier projectiles like this one and fling them longer distances."

"Right, you learn that in your military training?"

"I looked it up on Wikipedia. Like a normal person."

Not even David Madsen used the word trebuchet when he spoke military talk. Even so, he'd use Wikipedia as his typical normal person search engine for sources.

We find a narrow hole on floor inside that would take us down deep into the sanctum. We would need our rope to get down.

The two of us hook our ropes on the edge to slide on down with them. Once we hook ourselves on, we make our decent into the inner sanctum and down towards a gaping hole with a wide-open space in our surrounding and statues of Pachacuti and Huayna built between us. With Huayna holding his axe and Pachacuti defenseless.

"Incredible," I said, sliding down with Cayce. "It's our old friends Pachacuti and Huayna."

"Friends?" Cayce wondered. "Looks like they're fighting."

"Well, when the Inca emperors aren't fighting off demons, they're sometimes fighting each other."

"Well, it's not a fair fight. Pachacuti isn't even armed."

"I guess it's not really his style."

We make it through our complete decent to solid ground and make an easy landing with our boots on our feet. Then detach ourselves from our ropes. We've certainly entered someplace deep into the sanctum.

The two of us could see the waterfalls from the outside. Pouring down in front of open space outdoors.

"Amazing," said Cayce. "Did they just carve this whole place out of the mountain?"

"Sure looks like it," I answered.

I snapped another photo of the states built between the narrow space we roped down on.

There was a door of some kind that looked like it would take us forward into the compound built inside the falls. But it was barricaded by debris that fell down in front of it.

"They barricaded the door," said Cayce. "Didn't do them much good."

"Guess they didn't expect the Aztecs to drop in from above," I said.

"You'd think after two prior invasions, they'd be prepared for anything."

"Or they just never thought they'd be defeated."

Instead of using doors, there was a small space in the walls we could us to crawl under. Which is the next thing we use instead.

When crawling through the space, there were old bones and weapons in plain sight. Remains of Incas and Aztecs fighting one another. It made me sick to see it, but I've seen worse.

"Hey look, armaments," I told Cayce. "You right, Cayce."

"I have my moments," he admitted. "This all Aztec?"

"Uh, looks to be a mix of Aztec and Inca."

"First line of defense."

Once we've made it through the crawlspace, we enter a room with another spigot device inside. As well as walls with symbols on them.

"Well this device looks familiar," said Cayce.

"Let's hope it doesn't turn the water on in here," I said.

I approach the device turn the lever on it a notch. Then it's locked in place and activates something in the room.

There were these sigils in the room that rose out of the ground sticking out in front of a light ray that would form shadows in the room. I get the sense this is another puzzle to decipher.

"Well, that's different," I said.

"What is all this?" Cayce wondered.

"If I had a guess, I'd say it's some kind of lock mechanism to open…that door."

There was unblocked door in the room that was clearly the way out of here. Except we won't be walking out of it until this mechanism is deciphered for my safest assumption.

I take a look at the symbols in the room. There pictures of the emperors with Huayna's axe in both the ones on the left and right.

"Okay," I begin. "On the left, we have…Huayna gifting Pachacuti the axe and on the right we have Pachacuti…chopping off Topa Inca's head."

"Wait, with the axe?" Cayce asked.

"Yeah."

"The one that Huayna, Topa Inca's ancestor, gave to Pachacuti?"

"Yeah."

"That's messed up."

"That's family. C'mon, let's see about opening that door."

"So how does all this work?"

"Well…only one way to find out."

It would appear that the pieces of the puzzle standing in front of the light rays rose out of a pool of water. The sigil statues themselves also appeared to be attached to a rail of some kind.

There were handles around the pool that were used as lever to move the pieces around. Maybe the levers can help me crack the code.

I push the lever down one piece comes sliding down against the piece next to it. The rail life itself like a ramp to slide it down.

For starters, it formed a shadow on the wall that matched on of the figures on it as the correct shape. But there were many other pieces of the puzzles to put together match with the correct shadow matching the correct figure on the wall pictures.

It took me a moment or two to match with shadows with their own mural. I would need to remove some of the piece to put one particular piece in it's correct spot. I'd do the same for the rest in this most complex puzzle I had to solve on this mission yet.

Once I managed to get all the correct pieces to match shadows on the figures of the three emperors in the two murals, the deciphering was now complete and we were ready to step out of the woods. Hearing something move in the room when the puzzle activated the exit.

And the exit opened before us. Sliding upwards as it was opening.

"I think that's it," I said.

"You did it!" Cayce applauded. "Door's open."

"All in the day's work."

The both of us stepped inside the room the door took us. Which was a room decorating with more murals of an army battling one another. The Inca's versus the Aztecs without a doubt.

"The great battle of the empires," I said.

There was pedestal in the room with another slot for the Inca disc. This time it wasn't another jigsaw puzzle. It was a key to unlocking the reason we came here.

We keep our fingers crossed and stick the disc inside the slot. Once it was locked in place, the door behind us instantly slammed shut locking us in here.

Then flames lit around the room in small furnaces. Either this was a booby trap part of the last phase to getting our second piece to the forge.

"That supposed to happen?" Cayce thought.

"Don't know," I said.

"Just don't get us killed."

"You're no fun. Ready?"

No telling if this was a trap or the last phase, a carefully place my fingers on the disc and turn it around to unlock. Then something fascinating occurred.

The symbols on the disc rearranged themselves from Pachacuti and Topa Inca to Huayna like a Transformers logo. That which grasped our attention.

"Amazing," I said. "What the Huayna?"

"My thoughts exactly," said Cayce.

I remove the disc off the slot and then an object is unveiled from a chamber the disc unlocked. The object was none other than the second fragment to the Elysium Forge. Sitting on a nice shiny little display.

"It's the second fragment," I said. "We found it! We did it!"

"We sure did," said Cayce smiling.

"You still have the first fragment we found in Tiwanaku?"

Cayce stuttered for a moment. Frightened that he left it back at the port when he remembered he had it in his satchel. He took it out for me so I could put two and two together.

"It's right here," he said, handing it over. "Knock yourself out."

I take the first fragment from him and place it right next to the second. And when I do, the two fragments stick together like magnets and I remove the assembled pieces off the display.

Then suddenly, falls of water came pour around the room putting the flames out that were lit when I had put the disc in. And then a tremor was felt in the room that shook the two of us. Now we've done something nasty.

"Amber?" Cayce wondered.

"Foley?" I wondered.

Then a ray of light shined down on us from above. There was an opening on the ceiling fifty feet high. The floor was rising toward the ceiling.

Our platform was being used as an elevator to ascending upward to the opening ceiling. Maybe we didn't do something bad after all. I put the half-assembled Elysium Forge in my satchel for safe keeping.

"Oh no," I said. "No, it's okay. I think we're gonna be okay."

"Okay?" Cayce questioned. "Why the hell are we just going up?"

"I don't know and I don't care. We're simply being let out here now that we've gotten the pieces together."

"Well I'm just glad the Inca didn't send us on a fool's errand."

I take a look at the disc again to analyze the Huayna sigil. Frankly, there was something about it that may have involved the third fragment.

"I think you're wrong," I said.

Cayce scoffed. Worried we may have had something wrong here.

"Terrific," he said.

"No, hear me out," I told him. "Pachacuti is the symbol of…"

"…Cusco."

"And Huayna was the symbol of…"

"…Lima."

"Which was the old…"

"The old capital."

"Exactly. What if the emperor built this spectacular city and it was a wonderful target for the Aztecs. Giving them only a half maybe even a quarter of what they tried to gain. The piece was just found. That's why they were all split into three."

"And the old capital was forgotten. So this whole city was a decoy."

"What if they let it get plundered to protect Lima."

"And their forge."

"I'm willing to bet the reason they split the forge into threes was to keep the fight uneven."

"So where's Lima?"

Before I could answer, the ground lift had shaken. A sign of it either becoming unstable or a trap as anticipated.

"Oh, shit," I reacted.

"This is definitely not supposed to happen!" Cayce freaked.

Before we knew it, the platform was turning sideways. Either the mechanism was malfunctioning or this was a trap indeed.

No time to debate about it. I thought fast to save our skins.

"It's coming loose!" I shouted. "Grab the edge! Quick!"

The two of us reach for the edge in the center of the lift and hang on tight has our platform was just turning itself completely sideways. Down the narrow shaft that would have us fall to our deaths.

Now we had to climb up the platform using the tiles on the lift before plummeting to our deaths. To matters harder, there were chunks of debris and water spraying out of the walls like heavy rain.

One chunk of debris tore off some tiles on the rotated lift splitting Cayce and I up from where we were climbing. I climb on the left side of the turned platform, Cayce climbed on the right.

Where the water had been spraying was on my side of the climb. Luckily, I was able to maneuver under the leek since the platform turned forward. Unluckily, before I could make it under, the chain holding the lift together broke loose and almost knocked me off my grip as it tore down my climbing path.

I managed to maneuver again by climbing around the other side. Then finally, I reached the top of the vertical platform, balanced myself on the top like a tightrope, and jumped over to a stair well take would take us to the ceiling out of here.

Cayce had already made it up before me. He waiting for a second or two to make sure I made it up here as well.

"Made it!" I shouted.

"Up the stairs!" Cayce shouted. "Come on!"

"Okay, don't stop! Keep going!"

There was still water spraying out of the walls as we ran up the steps. We were getting wet from how much water soaked us like at a waterpark.

When we were up the stairs, we used a support column as our last resort to reach outside up the ceiling. The column was breaking loose as climbed.

Before the column could break completely, we made a jump for the edge of the opened ceiling outside and hanged on as tight as we could with our bare hands.

We could see the column we just climbed on and the lift we rode on crushing down the bottom as we looked down. Water was still leaking and flooding the shaft also.

The two of us safely climbing over the edge with our clothes and hair soaked from the water and both rested on flat ground with a breath of relief. We took a second to catch our breaths after the struggling climb we went through.

Cayce coughed some water out his throat before he could talk. I coughed some liquid out of myself as well. Then had a laugh about what we just did.

"Holy shit," said Cayce.

"You alright?" I asked.

"How the hell are we still alive?"

"Raw talent. And a little bit of luck."

We took another second to exhale and process our resting point. Just as soon as we remained calm.

"Hey, nice work, partner," I said.

"Nice work," said Cayce right back at me.

"Put her there."

We give each other a five and slap our hand together in good faith. Only Cayce did it a little sloppily as he chuckled and slapped his on the concrete floor.

"Jesus, what was that?" I laughed.

"That was awful," chuckled Cayce.

"I'm really embarrassed for you right now."

We stopped laughing for a moment to sit back and rest over the top of the falls between the statues. Gazing back at the landscape we overlooked before back on the statue's trident.

What could've been our greatest fall has now become our greatest climb.

"Hey," said Cayce. "Correct if I'm wrong, but…wasn't there a huge waterfall here?"

Looking down from the edge, the waterfall was no more. It was completely dried out.

"There was," I admitted.

We heard another sound in the distance that sounded like another current cracking through. Which it was certainly.

Another water current appeared to conduiting over a cliffside on the mountains like a waterslide. Maybe that's where the waterfall went?

"What the fuck is that?" Cayce wondered.

"Aqueducts," I answered. "The water's channeling there from the falls."

"Amazing. Did we do this just now?"

"Well…technically, I did. I'm the one with the disc and who put the forge together, remember?"

"Cocky."

Cayce laughed. I patted his knee for my congratulations.

"Look, uh…sorry if I cut too close to the bone back there," apologized Cayce. "At least now we've put together half the forge and only have one more fragment left to find."

"Ah…it's alright," I sighed. "You know you two would've gotten on like a house on fire. He was also a really stubborn dickhead. Just like my dad before me."

Cayce chuckled again and I return the smile. I turn my head back at the landscape. Wondering how the great battle went if this wasn't the first time the falls turned into aqueducts. Or rather if Alvarez's men may have overhead the falls and took notice.

"You know none of this could've gone possibly unnoticed," I said. "We should probably get out of here."

"Good point," said Cayce. "Follow me and we'll get out of here."

"Alright, I will."

 **Note: To all of you who are Star Wars fans, happy May the 4** **th** **. And I'll be see Avengers: Infinity War tonight! IT'S GONNA BE EXCITING Y'ALL! I'll tell all of you following this story and all my stories about what I thought about it next chapter.**

 **I'll be wrapping up finals this week and next Wednesday will be my last day of sophomore year in art school. I'll try posting chapter a bit more frequently by then when I can.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	12. Progress Demands Sacrifice

Chapter 12 Progress Demands Sacrifice

April 2nd, 2014

9:44 AM

Pilon Lajas

Cusco Outskirts

The two of us walk along side the top of the flood gate holding falls by the sanctum. Still drying off from the wetness clamoring up a slippery slope.

The riverside by the falls was visually enchanting just as much as the falls themselves. Considering where the water was just channeling towards to, we would need to follow it. And that's where we take ourselves to next.

"The water is being channeled towards the gate," I said. "So let's follow the aqueduct."

"Copy that," said Cayce. "I'll take point."

Taking is more David-talk but from a younger man with a lighter tone. Roger that.

Knowing where Lima could be, which would be in the Parque forest, that would be our destination to finalizing the Elysium Forge and completing the mission one-hundred percent. And another region next door to this one El Eterno was reportedly occupying. We must be cautious.

I get picture of the riverside while we walked along. This made me think this was how they protected the second fragment from the Aztec's fool's errand. I laughed.

"So they flooded their city to protect their secrets," I said.

"You think the soldiers knew they were being used as decoys?" Cayce wondered.

"Honesty's not always the best policy. Jesus, I sound like my dad again."

"That's true. You need your people behind you one hundred percent."

"So you think Alvarez is keeping his men in the dark?"

"Oh, undoubtedly."

As much as my dad had spent fifteen years of his life keeping me in the dark, I never want to bring him up again. Then again, there were some things I kept Chloe and even my own parents in the dark from, but nothing compared to what my failed DA daddy had.

Once we were past the riverside, we back on grasslands and walking on hillsides. Through lush trees and tall green grass. That is when we hear more voices afoot. More rebels only a foot or two away.

"Down!" Cayce hissed.

We squatted down in some tall grass to remain hidden. The rebels were just ahead of us. Speaking Spanish and standing aside an edge overlooking the river we crossed.

Cayce thought about me taking the left guard and me taking the right. I had other ideas I haven't tried since our first stealth section.

I throw myself out of the grass as Cayce snaps at me to get back down and I seize one guard to break in neck in. Then kicking the other guard in the face, sweeping his leg off, and lend him a final knockout to the face with my fist. Cayce had no problem with me adapting two on one. Only since he recollects my training performance so well.

"Okay, that works too," he said broadly.

"I had under control," I said.

"Yeah, but I can't let you have all the fun."

I picked up a Type 95 assault rifle from one of the guards I iced for better odds. I wrapped it around behind my back with the gun strip to holster it. I wouldn't use it unless I was in a firefight with Alvarez's goons. I still had my silenced pistol holstered as well. Had to be ready to use it to avoid any sudden firefights as well.

Avoiding anymore contact with the insurgents, we kept following the conduct until we spotted the structure the aqueduct had been following to. Just a couple click ahead from where we saw it.

"There," I said. "I'll bet the aqueduct's routed through that structure."

"I doubt we're free and clear," said Cayce. "Keep an eye out."

Before we even have time to keep an eye out, I accidentally drop down on loose ground that causes it to crack. Then suddenly breaking apart and causing us to collapse down a dirt slide.

"Oh, shit!" I snapped falling down with Cayce.

As we were sliding down, a rebel was down in front of us at them bottom. The guard turned his head around to be startled of our presence. Now our cover was blown.

Having no choice, I take my silenced pistol to shoot him down before reaching the bottom. Once we stopped sliding, there were tons more rebels to deal with that were now alerted to our presence. Time for some running gunning with our rifles just like I trained for.

"God dammit!" I snap.

"We've got this!" Cayce assured.

The two of us take cover behind a wall as a few rebel open fired from a structure on the other side of the current. We returned fire with our rifles to fight back.

I shot a few tangos with my rifle and good aim. Firing a rifle sure packed a punch more than an average pistol. Wasn't like shooting one in a movie or video game.

Then all of sudden, a truck came crashing through the wall of the structure we were firing at. One with a turret on top than open fired where we were covered. It looked just like the one Alvarez was riding earlier when we scoped him out.

"It's Alvarez!" Cayce warned. "Get to the building! Go!"

The two of us raced for the aqueduct building ahead of us as Alvarez's truck sprayed machine gun bullets on us like lethal paint balls. While we were at head, we had to shoot through more rebels too.

The further we ran, more rebels packed in the fighting zone we had fight. And the wherever we went, Alvarez's truck followed. The of us were only taking cover, aiming, and shooting at the rebels shooting back as the truck kept relocating ourselves to get an angle on us and shoot at us. This was not going to be a fair firefight at all.

"Come on!" Cayce shouted. "This way!"

We retreat further down the path to the ruined building. We weren't going to have time to fight the rebels and struggle against Alvarez's bullets chipping concrete on our cover. I followed Cayce taking point ran with him to the building.

Every time we zigged when they zagged, even larger groups of insurgents had us coming. The persistent asshole Alvarez was, he wouldn't stop his truck from crashing through walls to hammer us down. Luckily, we were almost at our destination if we could just press forward a little more from these enemigos.

Our guns were running dry, but Cayce spotted the door to get inside the building. He ran to it first dodging the bullets and began to heave down the doors with his shoulder.

"Rachel, here!" Cayce called to me. "Help me with the door!"

I raced for the door whilst dodge the bullets and started heaving with Cayce with our bare shoulders. Both of us give the doors a good couple of knocks with our arms to push them open. Once the doors were knocked open and we were inside, the floor below begins to crack and burst loose. Causing us to fumble down lower ground again.

This time, the floor was wet with a pool of damp water. As much as I had it getting wet just when we were drying off, I had it falling down through floors as well. We could see the hole above us where we fell through with daylight shining through. Rocks and rubble from the loose floor rained through where we had fallen.

"You alright?" I asked Cayce.

"Think so," he replied.

"Oh shit."

We appeared to have fallen in some sort of dark crypt when turning my flashlight on. Cayce was wondering the same when he had his on.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"No idea," I answered. "But at least we're not in the line of fire. Well, hopefully there's another way out."

When wondering through the crypt, Cayce detected something carved on the floor with his light. Whatever it was, it had restraints on the corners with thin little channels on it. A torture device perhaps?

"That thing carved on the floor," said Cayce. "What do you suppose it is?"

"Nothing good," I said. "See those channels? Doubt they were meant for water."

"Oh."

Continuing onward inside the crypt, we realize it is not crypt at all. There were skeletons hanging from restraints and locked inside rooms concealed with bars. Cell room precisely.

The place alone was indeed more than just a crypt. It was a dungeon.

"Poor bastards," I said.

"Dunno," said Cayce. "I'd prefer being left to rot in a cell to getting tortured."

"Duly noted. My body wasn't like those during the Lazarus project, right?"

"Far from them. Your decoyed body maybe. Or not."

Not sure how a decoy body was enough to outsmart everyone to believing I'm dead now, but I needn't a reminder of it now. Mind must shift to the mission.

Past the dungeon, we enter a room with a light ray shining through a hole in the wall and where we hear something flowing behind the walls. Sounded like the channels of water we've been following.

"Hear that?" Cayce asked.

"I do," I answered.

There was a broken wall that I could peek through a hole in the bricks. When I looked through, it confirmed my thoughts. The aqueduct was here and the current of water was certainly washing itself behind the walls.

"Yep, there's the aqueduct," I said.

Up where the light ray was shining, it was a way to climb out of the chamber to keep following the current. Assuming the rebels have lost track of us.

"Up here," I said. "There's a breach."

Before we even think about climbing up the hole, a truck crashed through the wall and breached our breach. We both instantaneously dodge out of the truck's way as it came to a halt in the room it crashed into. We were coughing up dust on the floor when we did.

The armored turret truck was no one else's but Alvarez's. I lye down on the dirt coughing more dust and crawling for mercy. Two El Eterno rebels hop out of the vehicle and pick up Cayce off the ground to restrain him and beat him to death with their fist, feet, and gun stocks. The almighty Alvarez hopped out of his truck as well to deal with me personally.

The Inca disc had flown out of my pocket when I was push away from the armor on wheels. I attempt to reach it before Alvarez does, but Alvarez is the one to pick it up first. I remember that we now had two pieces of the Elysium Forge assembled together and they would want that from us as well.

When Alvarez took the disc from him, he made a brief observation of it. Understanding sigils of the three emperors marked on it. For the most part, Huayna's sigil.

"The Eye of Huayna," said Alvarez. "Impressive. My man worked for a week and turned up nothing. The Ranikovs skimmed through the lands for months and Vladimir died for nothing."

"Well, you probably hired the wrong experts," I said getting off the ground, but not with my feet."

"Perhaps."

Alvarez approached the wall behind the aqueduct and knocked down some bricks over lightly with his knuckles for a wider opening. Just to see the water current for himself. Ashamed of how much his lieutenants made a fool of himself and envied how much Cayce and I have progressed further than the terrorist rebel leader himself.

I get up and sit on my knees to hear the warmonger lecture his adversary.

"You know," continued Alvarez. "An Inca poet once wrote of a young emperor. Who showed mercy…and thus, ended our rituals. But the old emperors, they understood that progress demands…sacrifice."

I scoffed. Two of the rebels that hoped kept fussing around Cayce as he tried to fight back when it was no use while I spoke to Alvarez alone.

"Is that what you tell your men?" I questioned.

The man smiled. Then pulled out his pistol for a little intimidation. He held the grip in his hands and knelt to me to continue his words.

"Alright," he resumed.

He pulled out the clip inside the grip to check his bullets before continuing.

"In times of war," said Alvarez. "These aqueducts, they would run red through the capitol. Those who would not fight, had to be used to inspire those who would."

Once the grey bearded Bolivian man was finished, he stood up straight and held the gun's barrel right between my eyes. Ready to inspire those fighting for him. This was where our fun began.

Alvarez turned his head towards Cayce. Seeing him attacking the men that were beating him now free from their torture. That's when I took the opportunity to disarm the gun from Alvarez's hand and begin to fight him by hand. But not easily.

The first strike I give to him is a simple fist jab that he blocks with his tight fingers. Then twists my arm over to strike me across the cheek and knock me over. Then Cayce intercepts by kicking him across the face and begin striking him all at once. Until Alvarez seized Cayce by the throat and slam dunked him to the ground. It time for me to give it back to Alvarez next.

"Come, let's make this quick," taunted Alvarez.

I fight well against Alvarez. Giving him a swing and a miss from one of his strikes and kicked him a kick in the back, but Alvarez was a strong opponent to take on. Who was now seizing me by the shoulders tossing me to the side.

"Proud of yourself?" Alvarez asked.

"A little, yeah," I said shaking it off. "C'mon."

Even after a few strikes, swings, misses, and dodges, Alvarez snares me by the neck with his tight fingers like a bear holding the bark of a tree. Next thing I know, Nicolas Cage will dress like a bear and slap my in the face.

"You see, to a rule a people," said Alvarez strangling his young female opponent. "You must first sow chaos."

I struggle against Alvarez's grasp. Succumbing for air as my power-hungry opponent strangled me to death.

"Wait!" I gasped.

"I will incite my civil war," continued Alvarez. "Stamp out the weak bloodline of the young emperor. Starting with you."

Within the nick of time, Cayce gets the jump on Alvarez hits him in the shoulder that releasing his grasp on me and allows me to catch my brought from the strangling. Cayce held Alvarez by his neck to restrain him and give me leverage against him.

"Rachel, get him!" Cayce commands.

I run up to him and give him a kick uppercut through his jaw. Then the rebels Cayce was taking one caught me by the arms and subdued me next.

Now Alvarez regained his upper hand and broke his restraint from Cayce start overpowering him next. I struggle against the rebels' grasp in desperation of helping my partner.

"Son of a bitch!" I snap.

I eventually release my self from Alvarez's rebel thugs by stomping on their feet an elbowing them in the face. I run back to Alvarez now strangling Cayce to kick him in the back again. Only to be seized by him again. Then the mad opponent kicks Cayce against the brick wall and throws me against him and causing us to bust through the wall itself and be washed away by the channel.

We were now sliding down a waterslide away from Alvarez and henchmen. Like at waterpark, but faster and more dangerous. It's not that I didn't enjoy getting, it was that I didn't enjoy it ungently.

"Grab hold of something!" I shouted, coughing more water in my face.

"What?!" Cayce shouts back.

"Anything!"

Before either of us could grab onto anything, the waterslide was washing us away to cave deep down from the aqueducts where it made a waterfall. That's when I spot a branch of wood sticking out in the middle and I toss my grappling rope swing across the chasm and grip myself onto an edge.

And then, I slipped off the edge and fell to ground. Before I was knocked unconscious, I could here Cayce shout call my name.

"Rachel!" He shouted. Right before my eyes went black.

 **Note: Well guys, I saw Avengers: Infinity War last weekend and I don't know if I should say it was…HELLA FREAKIN' AMAZEBALLS…or…HELLA FREAKIN' SAD! Either way, it was an awesome watch! So worth the anticipation until we have to wait until next year for part two! What a lame trope! At least The Maze Runner: The Death Cure decided to avoid that trend.**

 **I'm finally finished with my Sophomore year in art school as all my finals and presentations are done and accounted for! Now I can relax, enjoy my summer, and maybe get to posting chapters a bit more frequently than usual. As far as New World Order goes, we're only halfway done. Nonetheless, I haven't forgotten about Eternity War and maybe I'll even put the next episode of that on hiatus to finish this story. No matter what, I'll have everything under control.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	13. Trust

Chapter 13 Trust

April 2nd, 2014

10:28 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Cusco Catacombs

My head feels as if it hit a boulder or the peak of a mountain. Even from a fall at only ten feet, it unanimous I'm regaining consciousness from the shock. I feel as if I were drugged to sleep again for the photoshoot of my innocence.

Speaking of such, as I'm adjusting my blurry vision back to consciousness, a figure appears before me becoming a reminder of my photoshoot of innocence. Whether I'm dreaming or hallucinating, at least there's no camera of torture to take any photos of me drugged unconscious. As much as I'd rather be sedated from the reminder, I'm forced to wake up to it anyways.

Cayce was nowhere to be found and my most obvious hallucinogenic figure I see before me, as soon as my vision's clear and my mind is sentient, is none other than the man alone. My ex-mentor, lover, betrayer, sociopath, and Blackwell charlatan himself. I don't even need to say his name out loud.

"We gotta stop meeting like this, my love," said the goateed psycho with the glasses named Mark. Also referred as Jefferson.

My love? Seriously? Grow up, Mark. As I raise my head off the ground and sit with my legs and ass cheeks, I just want to hurl all over the sicko's clothes for calling me that.

"Do me a favor, Mark," I said. "And get out of my head. More so, do not call me your love. I never was."

Jefferson kept his arms crossed and shook his head. Persisting to gloat my every word as he does to everyone he speaks to.

"Your determination surprises me, Rachel," continued Jefferson. "When I first laid eyes on you, you were nothing more but glamorous, fearless, and talented little girl who's dad tried to kill her own mom and had lived lies all his life for you. Hating him for the rest of your life for that. But when you came to me, it was love at first sight. I've lectured you, respected you, and even treated you like the daughter I never had. And most of all, not once did I ever lie to you. You ended up liking me more than your own failed District Attorney of a father."

"Stop pretending like you cared about me all those years I was your student. Just when I thought James took everything from me, you had to take away so much more. I am stuck here fighting a petty war on the other end of this world because of you. My life was taken away from me because of you. And now everyone I ever loved and hated thinks I'm dead because of you! I wish we never met! I'm so glad Chloe and Max managed to end you for good!"

"Still the young and naïve Rachel Amber I used to know. Do you think I brought you to my dark room to kill you? You thought homicide was my initial agenda? I brought you to that dark room not only to inspire your innocence, but to make the model out of you that you always dreamed to be. As much as I once thought LA would've killed you anyhow, my only deepest regret was allowing Nathan to get his hands on that camera and needle that brought you to your demise. So it is Nathan you have to blame for recklessly taking your life away. Not me. Not essentially in a matter of speaking."

"In a matter of speaking, you expect me to believe anymore bullshit from you that brought me here?"

"Let's just say that not all of my subjects were utterly murdered during their sessions. As far as memory goes, Samantha Myers was one of my earliest subjects to start. The more I grew into her innocence, the more it eventually killed her."

So that's what occurred to Samantha, the school wallflower, years ago when she disappeared. Should've guessed when she first did.

"Then came Kate Marsh who survived her session," continued Jefferson. "Nathan dosed her red wine in the middle of a Vortex Club party and brought her to me. She only lived understanding how to sedate my subjects without overdose. After her session, she woke up in her own dorm with barely any knowledge of what happened the night before."

I remembered Kate Marsh some time before I first died. I introduced her once to Chloe who only saw her once when I did. For a Christian girl, she was one of the nicest in Blackwell since Samantha before her. Now I know why she attempted suicide months ago after Crosby telling me the story.

"I've always considered myself a remorseful man," resumed Jefferson. "And yet, many of my subjects die in my collective sessions as very few live. You Rachel, however, are the first subject to be brought back from her death after subjection. As some have called me a fraud, a betrayer, a charlatan, a sociopath, I've considered myself and idealist. One who's always honest to admit who he thinks and knows."

"I can only imagine you're here to talk more than your so-named idealism and honesty," I figured.

"To put it plainly, Rachel, can you really trust people like Cayce or Crosby? Of course, we've made deceptions of our own that have related to your former father, but we both should know Crosby didn't bring you back so you could make way to LA. As I've stated before. You made it out with your life escaping a covert mission in war blown city of Copacabana, you witnessed a ruskie in a tracksuit shoot himself in the chin, and you've barely managed a fight between youself, Cayce, and Alvarez. So can you really trust Crosby that you're meant to survive all this just to win your life back?"

"Do I got much of a choice? Is that really for me to decide?"

"There's always a choice, you know. Even when there really isn't one to make. But know this, Rachel. If you thought trusting people like James or myself was regrettable, that'll be nothing compared to Crosby's sense of trust. Or lack thereof. And just like James before you, you'll be signing a deal with the devil that would sacrifice the trust of those you've learned to love. Something that would disgrace you. Something that will ruin everything. Something that no one will ever like you for!"

* * *

 _"_ _Rachel. Rachel, hey._ You okay?"

I now awaken to reality. Face to face with Cayce glancing down on me like we're about to make out as I laid down from the fall. My head still stings from the shock as I moan myself awake. I assure my partner I'm okay with a sore voice. Still moaning from just retuning consciousness.

"Yeah, think so," I said to Cayce with my voice returning to normal.

"Hey, take it easy," he said as I got up. "You've been out for almost half an hour."

"Half an hour?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, shit. Shit, Alvarez's got the disc."

"Just hang on-"

"Ugh, we've got to get going-"

"Hey, relax, alright?"

Cayce kindly and gently helped me up as he calmed. I couldn't believe I actually let Alvarez get his fingers on the disc back there. At least he didn't take the forge. I exhale for breath to cool myself down.

"Think you can manage?" Cayce asked.

"Yeah, I've had worse nights," I replied. "Believe me."

"I believe you. I know you've had. It's good to have you back."

 _"_ _They're over here! It's them!"_ A voice echoed near us.

At first the voice startled me believing it was Alvarez's men. Until the people came out and they weren't El Eterno rebels. They were Chrysalis soldiers who discovered us here. Three of them being Lieutenant Mason, Captain Mendoza, and Commander Rivera who brought their recon squadron with them.

"Corporal Foley, Agent Amber, are you okay?" Mason asked approaching us.

"We are now since you're here," I answered. "How did find us?"

"Your partner called for backup when you were out. Didn't think you make it. It's good to see our youngest operative in one piece."

"As you were Lieutenant. Didn't think you were coming here to Bolivia since we first arrived. It's been some time now."

"Where's Alvarez and his men?" Mendoza asked. "Your partner reported to us you two had just encountered him before you got here?"

"Unclear, Captain," replied Cayce. "One moment we were investigating the aqueducts, then next Alvarez ambushed us. Good news is he didn't take what we just put together of the forge. Bad news is that he now has the disc with him instead."

"That's unfortunate. If he has that disc back with him, that'll only give him more of an upper hand to this war than he had before."

"Where's Cage?" I wondered. "Crosby said he would be here with you guys."

Everyone hesitated to answer at first. Not sure why, but I got an answer out of them just a few seconds later.

"Captain Cage is…leading another team into the ruins," replied Mason hesitantly. "We were planning on regrouping with him just this moment."

"There's no time to chatter," said Mendoza. "We need to reestablish acquirement of that disc from Alvarez as soon as we can. We can escort the two of you out of here if we must."

"Whatever gets that disc back to us quick, you may, Captain," said Cayce.

"Right, let's go and get our disc," I said.

"And some guns."

"And some guns."

"Here," said Rivera tossing some guns for us. "Take these. There your guns now."

The commander tossed us a piece for the two of us as our defense tools of the trade. We had lost our guns on the way down the aqueduct and were now given pistols to rearm ourselves.

Cayce and I moved out with Mason, Mendoza, Ramirez, and team out of the catacombs we slid down towards. My rib was aching a little from the fall and I pressured my hand on it to self-heal it. Now we had Mendoza's team to escort us to safety for the time being.

"Captain Mendoza to HQ, we've found Foley and Amber. We'll be providing them escort in the perimeter for right now to help them with their mission. Our mission still stands and we will resume our task when we've helped all we can."

 _"_ _Affirmative, Mendoza. Be advised, El Eterno forces have made some advancements across the Pilon Lajas and Parque territories. They're likely more desperate than ever to find that forge."_

"That's a problem we'll settle individually. Mendoza out."

As I follow Mendoza and team with Cayce, I think back to my dream with Jefferson. What exactly did he mean by trust? And why would he believe that I would become even more deceptive than my own piers. Did he mean that Chrysalis is deceiving me to believe to I would be set free after this mission? Or worse, they would corrupt me into betraying the people I loved?

Essentially, he spoke of Crosby and Cayce. Are they keeping secrets from me that I wouldn't admire? Are they about to betray me when the time comes? Whatever Mark was saying, it was getting shadier the more he got into my head.

I shift my thoughts back to my encounter with Alvarez that turned out to be more intensifying than the last. Now that I actually fought him hand-to-hand and failed terribly. First time Cayce and I faced him, we ran for our lives. Second time, he's seen us fight opposed to running. A fight we almost didn't win.

"Uh, can I just say," I begin talking to Cayce. "You were not joking about Alvarez. I mean, wow. He looks so unassuming."

"Right? That's exactly what he wants," said Cayce. "Pretty sure his blazer and shades are an affectation."

"To make him look harmless or cool?"

"Both."

"Ha."

"But he is smart. He was a drug runner before he took up his cause."

"So he left behind a lucrative career?"

"I'm sure at one point he thought it was the right thing to do."

"He didn't give up drug running because it was the right thing to do," said Mendoza. "He gave up drug running believing the Incan legacy would gain him more extensive power in Bolivia. Which is where it got our country now."

"You don't say," said Cayce.

All of us were almost out of the catacombs. We could see daylight through a hole at the end of the tunnel. The outside world was looking to be cloudier than last time. As if the weather was now switching to rain in the forest.

My rib was getting better as I walked it off. Perhaps it wouldn't be the last injury I'd confront on this mission.

"Hey, you sure you're good to go?" Cayce asked.

"As good as I'll ever be," I replied. "Just need to take it easy for a bit."

Once we were outside, we're back to square one from where we first gazed upon the Pachacuti temple. Now with its falls drained out through the aqueducts from where we first stood upon entry.

While everyone marched their way back to the gate we took to get here over an hour ago, I walked back to the cliffside for one last picture of the temple that I couldn't resist not shooting. Not from Jefferson's word of influence for better or worse.

"Rachel, the gate's that way," said Cayce.

"Yeah, one sec," I said. "Just want one last look at this place."

I take a step forward a few inches by the edge, take out my phone, and snap the last picture. Just for more memories of this place and with water fall down out of the picture this time.

"This is how it looked to the Aztecs," I said. "Before they invaded."

"Ready?" Cayce asked.

"Yeah, ha."

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, can you imagine if actually did send a picture to Chloe? She would think a ghost sent it to her. It'll be like a prank text or something."

"I don't think that would be funny."

"I know. C'mon."

We formed up back with Mendoza and the soldier to the gate. Where another spinning wheel was standing there that would obviously open the gate again for us. The recon was waiting for us to open it but couldn't be kept waiting. For they had a mission of their own.

"Let's get this gate open," said Mason. "Amber, Foley, would you do the honors?"

"The honors is my pleasure, Mason," I said. "Step aside and let the agent do the woman's work."

 **Note: So when writing the dream with Jefferson, I thought about Samantha from Before the Storm and her possible link to the dark room. As speculated from a binder with her name on it. I've decided to acknowledge this theory about Samantha and incorporate it with the hallucination sequence of Mark. That's all I decided to do.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	14. I Don't Belong Here

Chapter 14 I Don't Belong Here

April 2nd, 2014

10:40 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Cusco Outskirts

As the gate is open and the wheel is turned down opening it, the two of us with Mendoza and men step back out into the Cusco field of ruins are an enormous statue appears out of nowhere that must've been activated with the aqueducts. Must be our one-way ticket to reach the Parque Forest and finding the third fragment to the Elysium Forge.

"Holy shit," said Cayce.

"Actually, that's a holy cow," I said.

"What is it?" Mason asked. "Where did that thing come from?"

"That's Huascar," I answered. "Huayna's successor and gatekeeper. That's got to be the entrance to the old capital."

"It had to be triggered by the aqueducts," thought Cayce.

"Yep."

"Mendoza, why don't you and your men resume back to your mission while we continue ours of our own. It'll be up to us find that third fragment now."

"My men are open to fire support if you really need it, Corporal," said Mendoza.

"Rachel and I can work quicker on our own. We've made it this far doing so. We can make it even further. Wish us luck."

"As you wish, Corporal. Mudarse!"

Mendoza, Mason, and Rivera split from us with the rest of their fire team to continue onward with their mission so Cayce and I would continue ours alone. Still wondering why Cage wasn't with them. They may be hiding something about him which was what I was afraid of.

I pull out my binoculars to scope out the field we drove through. Our four by four was still in the same spot we parked. Meaning the choppers haven't picked it up yet. At least we could continue using it to drive around here like before.

When scanning the field through the binocular lenses, I spot Alvarez again. The man who attacked us back at the aqueducts who seriously hits his fighters real hard even for women. Even strangles real hard as I would've suffocated death if it weren't for Cayce's interception.

The brutal Bolivian warmonger himself was seen with his men lined by his APC truck he tempted to shoot us down with. He was also seen with Ranikov and Almagro. They all appeared to be waiting for someone coming out of the vehicle they were lined up by. But who?

Not only were they lined up by the vehicle, but they were already making way for the entrance inside the Huascar statue to get to the capital city of Lima. Giving them the head start before us.

"Ah, shit," I said. "Alvarez is already heading inside."

"Okay, well, better get down there," said Cayce. "C'mon."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

When watching Alvarez through the scopes, it became clear who they were waiting for. It was revealed they had been waiting for Captain Cage who was now Alvarez's captive. Restrained by his wrist behind his back with two rebels holding him by the arms. That is why Cage wasn't with Mason and Mendoza!

"Captain Cage," I say in shock. "He's being held captive by Alvarez!"

I put my binoculars down in frustration. Was this what they were hiding from me the whole time?

"Yeah…about that," said Cayce hesitantly. "Um…"

"About what?" I asked. "About what?!"

"Rachel…"

"What?"

"Cage's kind of the reason why we're here in the first place."

"Excuse me?"

"The Elysium Forge wasn't the only objective to the mission. Rescuing cage was another task as well."

"No, you better be joking!"

"This was our deal. Cage was doing recon with Mason and Mendoza until he was captured by the insurgency."

"Oh shit."

"Crosby didn't tell you this part because he told me and everyone else to keep it classified until-"

"You knew Cage was captured and you kept this from me?! And so did Crosby?! And everyone else?!"

"We had orders to keep the secondary objective classified until-"

I throw a punch at Cayce for lying to me like everyone else. Striking him off his feet on the ground like a dummy. I don't care if I kept secrets from Chloe and my parents too. I'm the only person drawing breath who's been told more lies all her life than anyone else breathing in my presence. And now Cayce has to be on my list of BFLs too. Asshole. Fucking bastard!

Cayce tried to get himself up and held his nose that had a bruise on it where I stroke it. He deserves it.

"Don't hold back or anything," said Cayce holding his nose.

"Oh, I did!" I snapped.

"You know what, Rachel? This doesn't change anything. The main objective still stands."

"Yeah?! Or maybe you, Cage, and Crosby don't even care about the forge!"

"Come on, Rachel. That's not how we operate."

"That's exactly how your type operates!"

Cayce turned his head to me with his nose bruise. Looking offended about what I just said. Piss off.

"And to think I not only trusted Crosby, but I trusted you. God…what is wrong with this world! Why is everyone in my life allergic to telling me the truth! First Dad, then you, and now Crosby too?! Ugh! This never gets old! Fuck me and fuck my life!"

"Listen, Rachel. You're overreacting! I was going to tell you about Cage! I swear, I was just waiting for the right time to-"

"No, fuck off, Cayce! I am sick and tired of everyone in my life lying to my face! I'm all done trusting everyone! Stay away from me! I'll deal with this mission myself!

"Rachel! Rachel!"

I make a run for the jeep, hop straight in, and drive off without the lying fucker. Cayce ran after calling for me to come back, but not in time before I could outrun his ass and leave him behind on the jeep.

As I drive the vehicle away deserting Cayce for good and taking on the mission by myself, I can't stop thinking about how much it hurts to be lied to by everyone I thought I cared about. Did Cayce also lie to me at my apartment that night we had dinner? Was it all just an act pretending that I felt special to him? And did Crosby also lie to me about what would happen if I agreed to the bargain of this mission? I don't get this world at all!

Why can't anyone just have the bravery to tell me the fucking truth when I need it! Or is it because I didn't have the courage to tell Chloe or my step-mom and murderous dad how I felt about Frank and Jefferson, I'm being punished for that by being lied to back. As if I'm no superior than the people who lied to me just to put a smile on my face, I don't even know what telling the truth is any longer.

I'm so furious at Cayce, I stopped the gas peddle hard enough to drive faster than a drag racer. Recklessly driving into enemy territory. I almost want to cry about being lied to by a young man I slept with and made out with thinking I could trust him and really care about. But nope, my world hasn't changed. As if there's even one good reason to brought back to the land of the living more than coming back to the people I loved, it would be severe honesty. And yet I'm denied that deserve.

I begin to break down a tear or two driving real fast. Why did I accept this mission? Why couldn't I just run from Chrysalis back to Arcadia Bay and tell the world Rachel Amber lives? Why couldn't I just be left to decay in that junkyard where I was buried? Am I better off dead avoiding the lies I'm told than cheating death living them? Who cares about LA. Maybe it really would have killed me anyways.

Even if I did just show myself to Chloe and Frank alive and well, they're probably already hurt about my death as they are. Even if I did just show myself to my deceitful parents, they would be in denial I'm alive as I bet my treacherous father didn't even remotely tried to find out what happened to me as much as Chloe did.

Maybe Jefferson was right. He gets in my head thinking to be quenched with more bullshit and not moments later do I realize Cayce and Crosby had to be deceivers too. Perhaps you still are the young naïve little girl you once were, Rachel. You really must be to believe the two could be trusted case in point. Not that I ever trusted Crosby to begin with, I really had higher hopes for Cayce that alas have all been dashed. I should've died in that dark room when I did and stayed dead when I could've.

It was still cloudy outside and now it started to rain. Dropping of rain water were now pouring and I was about to get wet for the trillionth time on this mission. Why couldn't we pack raincoats in this four-wheeler? Plus, it was thundering out and a flash of lightning sparked in my eyes. Nice weather we're having for a sad little broken up about being lied to by her soldier boyfriend. Or should I call him ex-boyfriend?

When driving across the muddy surfaces made by the rain on the grass terrain, I had seen where the aqueducts picked up here. Following the road to Huascar's statue. Huayna's successor and gatekeeper. Though my mind was too preoccupied about Cayce and Crosby's fibs to concentrate on my little tour guide to the old capital, the channels of the aqueducts is where I drove the jeep to follow them. The ones that raised Huascar statue.

I was now driving back into the ruins where the old structures and lookout tower was that I used to spot the three fortresses. But before I drove and further, an enemy vehicle was driving towards me to ram me. It was Alvarez's APC vehicle patrolling the zone and it was about to the jeep. The pace was occurring so quickly, I had little to no time to react in time at all.

The armored vehicle hit the side my jeep on impact just like that truck that killed Chloe's dad six years ago. Causing the jeep to be driven of it's wheels flip over into a totaled hunk of metal. And then I blackout again in the crash.

* * *

My body has fallen limp inside under the totaled vehicle. Where my consciousness slowly regains, my nostrils smell burning, and my ears hear voices of rebels outside. When I'm conscious again, things have already turned disastrous.

I cough out the smoke I inhale from whatever was burning and I can feel the heat warming up my eyes like an oven. I could see myself trapped under the car that flipped upside down and totaled. The burning was coming from the dashboard, the whole car was about to blow, I was about to die in this crash. I needed a way out of here quickly.

Before I could bust my way out, the rebels outside did it for me. The El Eterno soldiers tore open the passenger door behind me, pulled me out of the car, and tossed me to the ground out in the wet rain. There were three rebels who had come out of Alvarez's truck and one of them kicked me in the abdomen as I whaled in pain. Now it was just me and three of Alvarez's insurgent thugs toying with me. Way to go, Rachel. You're really going to get yourself killed now.

"Que hace una chica aqui sola? (What's a girl doing here all alone?)" A rebel asked the others.

"No es esta la chica que vimos antes con Alvarez? (Isn't this the girl we saw earlier with Alvarez?)" Another rebel asked his fellow comrades.

Understanding Spanish, these were the same Rebels who were with Alvarez back at the aqueducts since they were the ones commandeering his truck. I gradually get myself up and lye back with my bottom and dirty hands sitting on the mud. Considering the mood I was in, if these assholes laid another finger on me, I'd kill them all.

"Por que no la llevamos a Alvarez? (Why don't we take her to Alvarez?)" Another rebel said. "Ella puede tener algo que queremos. (She may have something we want.)"

Before the rebel could reach for my pocket, I still had my pistol with me. I reached for it and aimed at the three enemigos.

"No te acerques a mi!" (Don't come near me!) I snapped at the rebels with my gun in hand. Speaking in Spanish to them. "Tocame y te matare a todos!" (Touch me and I'll kill all of you!)

The rebels are intimidated, but one of them laughs.

"La chica habla nuestro idioma (The girls speaks our language)," said the rebel. "No creo que tenga agallas para usar su arma (I don't think she has the guts to use her weapon)."

To show the asshole who he was fucking with, I shoot him in the kneecap and then straight in the chin. Then I shoot the next asshole dead in the heart. And then the last asshole kicks my gun out of my hand and pins me to the ground to stab me with his arm knife. I hold the knife ready to impale me through the eyes against the grasp of my opponent.

The rebel and I kept wrestling the knife between one another. As I struggled for dear life, there was a piece metal torn from the crash that I could use to defend myself against my strangling opponent. The piece had been the bumper of the car. I reach my hand for it as hard as I can while succumbing from the strength of my opponent until my fingers touch the bumper and I swing it towards my opponent. Striking him in the head knocked away from me.

I'm up on my feet ready to strike again with my bumper weapon. My opponent is about to get up too. His knife was on the ground in between us. I was getting ready to strike him again with my bumper. He was getting ready to reach for his knife and stab me. The same way Damon did so when I attacked him four years ago. Only this time, I know how to properly fight to avoid getting impaled through the arm pit again.

The man counters my swing with the bumper and I kick his arm away before could grab his knife. Which is what I could've done with Damon if I had fought better. I should've killed that fucker before he could help Dad kill Sera.

I finish my opponent off by headbutting him and strike him in the head again with my bumper. Breaking his counter. I hit him in the face with my metal melee weapon multiple times while he was pinned to the ground and kept on hitting him repeatedly until his face was redder than a rose. Once I finished killing my opponent, I caught my breath tossed the bumper aside. The flames of the burning vehicle were going out from the rain. I found where my gun was kicked away and put it back in it's holster.

Just what in the hell were you thinking Rachel? Deserting your own part and getting yourself killed like this. Do you want to return to Arcadia Bay in a single piece or are you wishing you had died in the dark room for real?

"Rachel!" A voice hollered. "Rachel! Are you alright?!"

Clearly, it was Cayce who ran back for me. Alright is the worst word to describe my mood I'm in by him.

"Rachel, what the fuck were you think running off like that on your own, huh?!" Cayce snapped. Approaching me even if I didn't want him too. "Were you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Save it, Cayce!" I snarled. "I don't know why you came back for me."

"Dissertation is a court martial offense! Don't ever run off like that again! And now you've wreaked our vehicle! Congratulations."

"Oh, fuck you, Cayce! You lied to my face."

"I didn't lie. I just left the part about Cage."

I scoffed.

"Incredible," I snarked.

"Look, Alvarez is getting a head start," said Cayce. "And we need to hurry-"

"We?"

Cayce sighed.

"Shit," he said. "Look, I-"

"Spit it out!" I snap.

"Okay, cards on the table. You need my help."

"Should've thought about that before."

"And if we're gonna get that forge, you're gonna need it. If you want to go home, you're gonna need it. Look, I screwed up, okay? But Crosby is the one to blame here. Not me."

"This is your idea of an apology?"

"If it helps to keep your head in the game, then sure. It's Crosby that needs apologizing here. I was only covering for him. We all were."

"Fuck that. I'm out of here."

"Listen, we both have something to lose here. Am I right?"

Ignoring Cayce for a second or two, I turn away from him for a moment of silence. Spending that moment thinking about the many lies I've been fed with that ached my mind and destroyed my feelings for anyone.

I look around myself at the place I shouldn't be in middle of this heavy rain. All I could think about is the place I should be. And not the land of opportunity I once dreamed of to be LA, but the small town I once called home away from Long Beach where my life truly began. I where I learned to actually love someone more than anyone in this world. That would be known as Arcadia Bay.

I sit down on the wet and muddy ground again dwelling on the past. Cayce is irritated by my ignorance and can't help but put his hand over his eyes. The truth is, I really shouldn't be here. I never asked for this part of my life. And yet, here I am with more people with the same difficulty of trust that I feel is punishment for my own deceptions. The reality no one choses but chosen for somebody instead. Or rather just reality no one can escape generally.

"I don't belong here," I said. "I didn't ask to be part of this. It's not your fault I'm here. It's not even Crosby's. It was Jefferson's. Maybe Nathan's too. But Jefferson, the man who drugged me, kidnapped me, photographed me, raped me. And my dad, the man who thought lying to his daughter and killer her own mother was the only way…why? Why did this all have to happen?"

Now I begin to break completely down. Rolling down as many tears as I could.

"And now…I've left everyone behind," I whaled. "Everyone thinks I'm dead! Why did I let this happen to me?! Why?! I didn't deserve this! I didn't deserve to be lied too. I didn't deserve to be murdered. And didn't deserve to shut out everyone I loved! I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry, Frank. I'm Mom and Dad. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so, so sorry!"

I curl my head behind my knee and sob away. Releasing the tears down my cheeks in my greatest sorrow.

Cayce kneels down next to me to comfort. Feeling bad for his partner and hugging her to show it. I spread the tears over Cayce's shoulder as we caress our arms around one another. If he feels this bad, he really does must care about me and feel guilty about lying. For best or for worst.

We stop hugging one another and look at each other in the eye. My face was still red soaked with tears and rain. Cayce's face was drenched in rained too. He had said something to me hopeful enough to believe he cares.

"It's not too late to get your life back, Rachel," he said. "You know it isn't. In this world, we're always lied to. We always attempt to receive the things we deserve better. Even though we can't always end up getting better. You remember what Alvarez said. Progress demands sacrifice. In matter of speaking, love demands sacrifice. We both know that. Now we still have a mission to complete. We get to the capital, find that fragment, and stop Alvarez. Nothing more matters but that. Okay?"

I wipe away my tears. Still angry at Cayce for hurting me with his lies, but knowing he meant well.

"Just so we're clear," I said as I stopped crying. "My priority is the forge and going home. Not Captain Cage, not Crosby, and certainly not you."

"Fair enough."


	15. The Gatekeeper

Chapter 15 The Gatekeeper

April 2nd, 2014

11:10 AM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Huascar Gateway

I try as desperately as I could to grow over myself from my tragic profanity. I couldn't blame myself for letting whatever's occurred to me until now. I could've never have foreseen it coming. The only one's to blame are Mark and Nathan and nobody else. I at last cease my tears and move forward with the mission. No matter what's at stake.

There was another spigot in front of the Huascar statue when we approached it. Leaving the vehicle's crash site and resuming the mission back on foot. Cayce and I knew the routine. He takes one lever, I take another. We turned it over, and Huascar's gate was open. Our gateway to the capital of Lima through the gatekeeper himself. Past the statue of him specifically.

We stepped into the corridor inside the statue that would take us underground again. Yet another spigot was inside the old crypt. One used to close the gate doors behind us. Cayce was the one to do so.

"What are you doing?" I asked Cayce.

"Making sure we're not followed," he said pulling the lever.

"Huh. That's a good idea."

The gate doors behind us closed as soon as the levers were pulled. With the gate shut, the crypt was now dark and we need our flashlight again to see where we walked.

The two of us walked down a flight of stairs taking us down deeper into the crypt. Then we here a tremor of some sort. One that's distant, but noticeable.

"Whoa, what was that?" I wondered.

"Exactly what it sounded like," replied Cayce.

My educated answer would Alvarez ascending his head start. Every minute we doddle is another we spare for the enemy to win this civil war. Not for long.

The crypt was now taking us to where daylight burned or what was left of it if the weather was the same. Which I'm sure it is. We could see rain dropping above where the sky was exposed in the crypt. Giving us more natural light so wouldn't need to use any burned on a battery.

Another tremor was heard. Whatever Alvarez was up to, not sure how blowing things away was helping him. What kept us ahead is what held him back. Considering Cage was still out there captured by El Eterno, I just hope he could last long enough for us to save him.

"What the hell are they doing?" I asked.

"Taking shortcuts," answered Cayce.

When moving into a darker area, there was a small statue of Huascar carved on the wall I spotted with my light. The same one we just walked into. The little statue itself also featured little figures of men marching into it. I know what this could mean.

"I'll be damned," I said. "Oh wow. The emperors ushered their people into these tunnels."

"What?" Cayce asked.

"We didn't find the entrance. We found the back door."

Proceeding further down into the tunnels, we walk down a stepwell where we hear more noises. And not the noises of tremors. But rather the noises of animals.

"You hear that?" Cayce asked.

"Now I do," I answered.

We investigate the noise by following it down a dark tunnel where more bats flew above us. Not as many as the one that flew over us on the jeep. Don't mind us. Whatever the noise was and wherever it came from, it certainly didn't sound like more rebels. More like an animal in pain.

Once we were in a brighter and where we didn't need our lights on, the sound was even louder than before. Like an elephant trumpeting.

"Shh-tt-tt-tt!" I hissed. "What is that?"

"Whatever it is, it's close," said Cayce.

The both of kept approach the noise eventually to the point where we had visual. As I suspected, a poor little pachyderm in distress. Caught in some debris that had fallen onto the creature. Poor little thing. It was stuck under the broken objects and trapped until we could help it free.

"Oh no," I gasped with my hand over my chest.

The two of us gradually approach the trapped elephant. Making an attempt to comfort it as it made a noise again with it's horn.

"Easy, girl," I said. "Easy…"

We find away around the elephant stuck under debris to try and free it loose. Not only did I feel bad for the poor animal, it hand been blocking the path forward with the debris. Something must've caused the broken concrete pillar that trapped the animal inside.

I touch the skin of the elephant to comfort it. Right before any of us could help it out.

"Oh…hey, hey, hey, hey," I cooed. "It's okay."

"She's trapped," said Cayce. "But I don't think she's wounded."

"Those explosions we heard must've triggered the collapse."

We now climb over behind the elephant's back to help free her from the debris. We would have to use our legs to get it out of here.

"Easy, girl," I said. "Sh, sh, sh…it's okay. Sorry, girl. We're gonna get you out."

Cayce and I lean down on the elephant's back to use out feet to push the collapse pillar off the animal. We give it a nice big push with our boots until it was off the elephant and was free to go. But as soon as we freed her, we were now taking a ride on it from it's back. We were now panicking.

"Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" I hollered on the elephant's back. "Wait, wait a minute!"

"We need to get down!" Cayce exclaimed.

"Just stay calm!"

"Are you talking to me or the elephant?!"

"Both!"

Not as if the circus was in town, I remember how fun it was to ride one when I was little. Dad had to pay for me to ride one at a circus in Long Beach. How bad could riding this elephant possibly be?

"Easy! Easy," I say to the elephant, toughing her ear. "Easy does it…Okay then."

"Where's it taking us?" Cayce asked.

"Wherever it wants."

Riding on the elephant's back, it was walking under some trees in it's path where I could reach for the branches. I picked one of the branches for the elephant to feed off the citrus fruit growing out of it.

"Here, you want some of this?" I asked the elephant.

I lend over the fruit to the elephant's nose it was reaching with. Then took it from me to put the fruit in its mouth and eat them. Must be hungry. It was almost lunch hour for humans. Must be for elephants too.

It was beautiful for the two of us together riding an elephant in the middle of a Bolivian rainforest. I kept feeding the animal the rest of the fruit off the branch until it was all gone. She must be beginning to like me.

"Good appetite," I said.

The rain outside was beginning to slowly stop dropping. Until it all stopped dropping. I hate to admit, but weather isn't so bad for how good the rain felt. It was just like fun at a waterpark but with your clothes on. And the environment around us is what made the rain fitting for my taste. If only Chloe could experience this with me now. Maybe with Max too if I ever knew her well enough as Chloe did.

Supposedly, riding an elephant made our journey quicker. Like the elephants Indiana Jones rode in the Temple of Doom. In all cases, he got an eagles eye view of more falls down the path to the capital. Even passed by some monkeys climbing around the trees above us. I've never had such as satisfying in such a distinguished environment since the San Diego Zoo I went to back in Cali. Makes me feel like a kid again as did the circus in Long Beach.

Minutes ago, I wouldn't have considered myself the happiest girl on earth. But everything here did turn my frown upside down. Then I thought back to Cayce lies. As if this elephant ride made me feel any better. Or rather not.

"Look," said Cayce. "I…um…I'm not very good at the whole people thing."

"You're a selfish dickhead," I said casually.

"Yeah. You're right. I am a selfish dickhead. If it's all the same to you, Crosby is too."

"Yeah, it's good to hear you say it."

The two of us chuckle and grin for a second. Enduring our emotional yet humorous conversation.

"Well, did you hear that, Chloe?" I asked myself. "I am happy here after all."

I feel like crap for just saying that. I'm not one-hundred percent happy I'm here. This has only been the best part of the mission overall.

"What happened to your dad?" Cayce asked out of nowhere.

At this rate, I was all done talking about my former dad. But I couldn't give Cayce shit about it now. Instead of feeling insulted by the question, I obliged the question instead.

"He was the guy that couldn't accept the past," I said.

Here we go again, Rachel. Just say what needs saying and say it professionally. And off the record, don't take it personally. Even if it is super personal that would value my privacy.

"It began during a dinner I had at home," I continued. "The night after The Tempest Chloe and I performed. I talked shit about him for what I saw him do at that overlook. Then Chloe slammed him next and Dad called her a delinquent. A broken girl from a broken home. Mom defended Chloe and I just wanted to smash something on that dinner table to get the truth out of Dad. And I did. That's when it finally came out of him. To know that I had two moms. One who gave birth to me before being taken away from her. The other one who had been my step-mother my whole life."

"What happened after that?" Cayce asked.

"Dad told me everything from beginning to end. I just couldn't keep myself from burning down that forest over a truth I didn't even know that half of. Chloe comforted me that night and all I wanted more than anything was to meet my true mother. To think my father was elected District Attorney for the good of Arcadia Bay, that whole time it was an excuse to make sure I was never seen with the woman who brought me into this world."

"Sera Gearhardt."

Cayce knew the facts before we met each other. Just from my profile that identified my biological parent. I'm getting emotional again from sitting down on a hairy pachyderm telling this awful story.

"She wrote letters to me I never got because of that bastard," I kept going. "She was sent money to make sure she'd stay away from me because of that sick fucker. And I'm rewarded by getting stabbed by another sick fucker who helped him put my mom into harm's way. And to believe that making a father figure out of yet another sick fucker who murdered me would solve my problem, it did not."

"I'm sorry."

"If I ever thought trusting some anglomaniac from Blackwell would keep me away from my lying family, I was better off trusting family more than anyone else in my life. No matter how much family can hurt you too."

"How did you end up dealing with it?"

"After I was out of the hospital from being stabbed, when Chloe told me everything, my parents wanted to shred their marriage. After a week of dad not coming home since being disgraced, him and mom both decided to make me come down to the living room to talk about their decision. They said that although a divorce was undecided, they weren't going to be together for a long while. Mom was the one leaving the house and Dad was the one that got to stay since it was his home. I refused to live anywhere near him, so I ended up living in the Blackwell dorms. I couldn't even call him dad anymore. I only called him James. Understanding I already mourned the dad I once knew who was already dead to me."

"I can't imagine how hard it must've been for you."

"He certainly made his choice. So…"

"Listen, Rachel. You don't have to-"

"Whoa!"

The elephant jerked forward and almost dropped us. It was now running and it appeared to be in a hurry for something as it blew it's horn again.

"What's it doing?" Cayce asked.

"Charging I think?" I thought.

"Tell it to stop!"

"Cause I speak elephant?!"

Once the elephant was done running, it accidentally threw us down a small pond of water as it's hefty feet hit shallow pond and the two of slashed into it. Dunking our bodies in the water then resurfacing ourselves back into fresh. We again from getting dunked into the pond.

Cayce and I had a laugh with our feet standing in the shallow water. Little did we know the elephant we rode on wasn't alone. Cayce himself had spotted a heard of them gathering in the pond.

"Look at that," said Cayce.

The heard of elephants ranged from adults to infants. It would appear our elephant was reunited with family. Knowing it had baby elephants to take care of too.

"Ah…no wonder she was so distressed," I said.

"Hey," said Cayce "About the whole Cage-"

"Look, I get it. Alright? I overreacted."

I sighed.

"I got my own shit to sort out as well," I said. "Let's not have that stand in the way anymore, hey?"

"Okay, deal. C'mon."

"Well, if we accomplished nothing else today, at least we reunited a family."

"Yeah, just keep your distance. They got calves with them."

"Right."

The adult elephants were protecting their calves by surrounding themselves in front of them to protect them. If my years in Elementary taught me something, it would be to never make enemies with an elephant shielding its calf. So we would need to keep our distance.

The pond we were walking on was at the bottom of the falls we saw a moment ago on the elephant. They look of the elephant group appeared to be uncanny. The height of the creatures were a bit smaller than ones I've seen at the San Diego Zoo and Long Beach Circus. There must be a difference between the elephants I've seen and the elephants I was seeing now.

I just remembered my phone with pictures I took with it. Maybe I oughta get a picture of the elephants. Good thing my phone was waterproof or it would've been damaged in everything it got wet in. I pulled it out of my pocket undamaged to snap the photo. This time, it was Cayce's turn to take the shot.

"Here, I'll take this one," he said.

"Oh, okay, thanks," I said.

I've taken plenty of pictures enough for Cayce to take one now. If whatever better time than now to let him. Cayce hold my phone camera as I stand in front of the elephants to pose for him. Like I used to do for Evan Harris and Mark Jefferson. Before the dark room.

"Move over a little," said Cayce.

I take a step to my right to make the right pose.

"That's good," said Cayce. "Now, reach that way and hold out your hand."

"What?" I asked.

I reached out to my right and posed as if I were touching the elephants when I was only touching air. Cayce snapped the photo and I stood normally again. He showed me the picture to see how well it was shot.

"Much safer way to pet an elephant," he said, holding the phone in front of me.

"Much obliged," I said, impressed with the photo. Just wait until Chloe could see this. I saved the photo and put the phone back in my pocket. Still wondering why the elephants looked different from the ones I've seen before. "Maybe it's been a while, but elephants are smaller than I remember."

"You're probably used to seeing African elephants. These are South American elephants."

"What's the difference?"

"Smaller. Smaller ears. Sort of a double-dome on the skull."

I continue towards the path out of the pond. All except for Cayce who has other plans before reaching the capital.

"Hey," he said.

"What?" I responded.

"You know, I was thinking…it's gonna be a long walk to the capital if it's in the Parque Forest. We could just set up camp here for tonight."


	16. Love of Nature

Chapter 16 Love of Nature

April 2nd, 2014

8:50 PM

Pilon Lajas, Bolivia

Huascar Falls

We had spent almost nine hours camping out behind the Huascar Falls where the heard of elephants had gathered earlier. We should've at least kept walking a few more hours to the capital of Lima beforehand. Instead, we found a den behind and under the falls that Cayce recommended would be a nice spot to set up camp and a cozy one at that. I only listened to him since I was his responsibility.

Since we were staying here for the night, we were going to need to build a fire along with food to keep ourselves fed for the day. Building the fire was the easiest part. Although our burning fuel for the wood was done away with in the 4x4's crash, we didn't it since we had lighters to burn the wood alone. Our MREs were too destroyed in the crash and our lunch were the rations we had been carrying with us. As for supper, that hardest part.

The two of us had to hunt for the supper. I suggested we'd hunt for a tapir and cook the meat out of it and eat it, but the soldier boy Cayce was, we hunted for snakes instead. Ugh. Cayce found a Bushmaster and I found a Boa constrictor. When we brought them back to camp, we mounted them on a twig to roast them.

As soon as our snakes were fully cooked and dinner was ready, Cayce was chowing down on his fried snake like a beaver. I, however, who refused to eat snakes, only paced myself as I ate mine. While it wasn't the most scrumptious meal I had in Bolivia, it was all I had to eat to survive. Now we were Rambo gnawing down grilled snake skin like grilled cheese.

Between the two of us eating snakes by a campfire and living under a waterfall, this was somewhat another romantic moment I've had with Cayce yet. Wish we still had the smores we could've made by this fire. Which were destroyed with the other rations. I stare at my Rambo boyfriend eye to eye between the fire. Wondering what to talk about as we ate under the fall in the middle of the night.

"Delicious?" Cayce asked.

"It's alright," I said with my mouth full. Then swallowing.

"Don't like snakes?"

"Not for dinner. Chloe would be disgusted by the way I'm eating right now. So would my mom."

"Which mom? The one who married James or the one James tried to murder?"

"Both. My step-mom, Rose, used to make French, Italian, any kind of foreign food. She was best cook in the house with Chloe's mom, Joyce, who served food at Two Whales. The best Belgian waffles in town."

"I've eaten there before. It's where I used to take the girls I dated at Blackwell."

"The least you could do when asking a girl out is to make sure you buy her a drink."

"Tell me something. How did it feel to be with James before the revelation of his murder scandal?"

Cayce seemed to have acknowledged how I no longer call James my dad. I guess I should honor that.

"James had his moments," I said. "My greatest memory I have of him was when I broke my arm tripping on Mount Hood. We also went to Paris together with Mom. That was another fond memory of mine. Before and after we moved to Arcadia, it felt like he was the best man in the world I could have in my life. Like how Chloe used to describe her dad before he passed. But every now and then, there always felt like there was this one detail he was barricading from. Year after year, I tried to get it out of him. But to no avail. That all changed the day I saw him with Sera and the night during that dinner after the play. Everything changed even worse the night after when Chloe told me who James really was on my hospital bed."

"You never spoke too much about this Frank guy," said Cayce. "What was he like to you?"

"Like I said, we were never as close as we once thought. Every once in a while, I'd come to his RV for a drink of beer or a smoke of dope. I'd have to pay him for the smoke though since he was a dealer. After the whole Damon incident with him stabbing me and trying to kill Sera for James, Frank had to kill Damon himself. He was always broken up about killing his friend just to save my life and Chloe's. I wanted to be there for him as the person that would make him smile and the man to make my dreams come true. But it was either him, Chloe, or Jefferson I'd accomplish that with. I couldn't have them all."

"And what was Chloe like to you? Before the dark room incident?"

"What else could I say about Chloe? She was the most beautiful friend I could have. The one person who always made me happier than James ever could. It was like we were made for each other. Born for each other. Ready to be on our own and rule the world together. I'll never forget the night we went on stage together. Where we not only performed adlib for the audience, but secretly agreed we'd leave town together and never turn back. The young and naïve person I was, I really thought we would pull it off that night. And look where I'm at now."

"What's your earliest memory you have of Chloe? And your latest with her?"

"The earliest memory I'll ever have of her is the night of that Fire Walk concert at Damon's mill. Where Damon's thugs ganged up on Chloe and I intervened. I can still see each other rocking around on that dance floor near that stage with a bunch of dancing punks and strobing lights. The last happiest memory I have of Chloe is us breaking into that fun fair where we rode on a carousel, read a pun book, played arcade, squirted water guns, danced to Green Day, and escaped the cops. And the night of that Vortex party where I was dosed just a few days later. I never saw her again since. To hope Max mended everything I abandoned Chloe for. That much she deserves."

Cayce sighed under his breath. Just to say something that would mend my grieving.

"Listen, Rachel," he began. "About earlier, I regret not telling you about Cage. Maybe Crosby will too. I just hope the captain himself can hang in there. And maybe Mendoza and Mason can rescue him before we could."

"Tell me something, Cayce," I said. "Do you have any griefs of your past you never told me about? Has anyone ever hurt you the way James and Mark once hurt me? Have you ever felt abandoned by someone who cared about you or have you been forced to abandon someone you loved? I know Chloe felt the same and now I'm feeling the same. What about you?"

My partner clears his throat. Still holding onto his snake stick and now giving me the look of grief. Not sure if he feels offended or wants to relate. But I get the words out of him regardless.

"There was a time when I used to have the best dad in the world too," he said. "He was an air force pilot in NORAD. It's what made me interested in the army. My real dad was never around much, but every time he'd come home for Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Christmas, whatever special holiday or occasion, whenever he was home, he was indeed the most kind and supportive man I ever knew. He taught me almost everything about the military. What it's like to serve and to fly a harrier in the sky. And he was a good parent. Even when he was never around to be with my mom and I for his own career."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"There was an accident during one of his flying drills with his squad. An engine blew out and he was crash landing. His ejection switch jammed and his parachute wouldn't open. When he hit the ground, he couldn't get out of his cockpit. By the time he was able to, everything went boom. I was only twelve years old."

Cayce closed his eyes. Getting emotional about his loss, but with no tears. Just a frown.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"That's when my piece of shit, drunken step-dad destroyed my life," continued Cayce. Snapping out of it. "The one who used to beat me to death with a belt to lash me with. I kid you not, Rachel. He wasn't the kind of step-dad who you hate at first and except him as a father later. Unlike my real dad who had so much more ambition in his life, my step-father was the absolute worst and uninspiring."

"That's what Chloe used to say about her step-father."

"All my step-dad ever did was go out drinking, yell at the television watching football, lock me in the basement, even beat my own mom too. We thought about throwing him out of the house, we thought about leaving, we thought about divorce papers. But when he found out what we wanted to do to him, that's when things took a turn for the worst."

"What happened?"

"He pulled a knife on my mom. My step-dad had a gun hidden in his drawers and I grabbed for it. I didn't know what else to do. He was attacking my mom. When I had that gun on him, aimed right for his head, I hesitated at first. He was in shock, my mom was in shock, I was shock. And then I did it. I actually pulled that trigger and shot him dead across the eyes. It…it was the saddest day of my life when it happened. Sadder than when my real dad died."

My heart was beginning to melt at this awful story about Cayce. Him shooting is own step-parent in defense of his own mother at such a young age sounds even more tragic than my story between James and I. Perhaps more than Chloe's story of losing her father at a young age too.

Cayce sniffed his nose looking to break down. But he held the tears away from his easier than he could handle.

"What happened next?"

"When the police came, they wanted to take me to juvie for what I had done. But when mom made her statement to the police for a self-defense plea, they dropped the charges and let me go. That's when my mother sent me to Blackwell to have an easier life and education. The nicest boarding school she could find in Oregon. That's when my life really began to start over. So I graduated and eventually ended up in Chrysalis making it to the frontlines. Which is where my life catches up now."

"Didn't you say you had a wife once who you've recently divorced?"

"I did. She was against the idea of me leaving the house for my career in Chrysalis when she had things to do in house I needed her help with. That's why she left."

"What was you're dad's name, Cayce? Your real dad's name?"

"Jayce. Captain Jayce Foley of the North American Air Defense Command."

"Jayce and Cayce. Now I know why they call you Cayce. What was your mom's name?"

"Hailey. Her name's Hailey. Still living in Washington as I speak. May have lied a little about them both still living there. I apologize for that."

"That's okay. Hailey's a nice name. I like it."

"Did you ever get to meet her, Rachel? Your real mom, Sera? After the incident with her?"

"You know what, I did actually. Unexpectedly, really. Chloe and I were sitting down on the porch near the lighthouse her and Max used to go as kids and she just appeared out of nowhere. With a sunflower in her hand just for me. I thought Damon had actually killed her, but she was right there alive and well. Holding a flower for me. I ran to her and hugged her like true family. She even told me that she saw my whole performance that night on stage. And she was only there because James felt guilty about what he tried to do to her. I couldn't give a damn if he did. It was nonetheless the happiest day of my life meeting my one true mother who was taken from me so long ago."

"Listen, Rachel. Here's the thing. We don't get to decide how to control our lives. Even when we have the right idea how to. Real greatness comes from what you do with the hand your dealt with. That's what my old man used to say before passing on. What happened to you before this, is not on you. When shit happens, we learn how to configure it into something better. The dreams we dream of are rewarded with a cost. My dreams came at the cost of killing my step-dad and you're dreams come at the cost of resurrection and this mission. And the price will set you free. It's the love of nature."

I sit over next to Cayce in front of the fire. Starring at the water dumping in front of the den and into the pond. Enjoying the night away with Cayce. As I once did with Chloe four years ago in my own neighborhood block.

 **I Don't - Koda**

"It's so beautiful down here," I said. "Watching the water fall and the moonlight dazzle. I used to love this time of night. Back in Arcadia Bay."

"Rachel, I never thought I'd have the courage to tell you this," said Cayce. "But I love you. Since the day you woke up off that bed in the med bay and met each other in that shootout, I've always cared about you. And wanted to knowing how much it sucks ass to leave everyone behind who thinks you've been dead a long time. Do you feel the same about me?"

"I don't know why I'm admitting this, Cayce, but I love you too. In the most weirdly professional way possible, I do. As I've loved Frank, as I've loved Chloe. And I don't want to feel like shit for saying that. After what we've discussed tonight, I want to feel great for saying that. Even if it hurts everyone else. I'm only glad to have someone to care about me in the past six months of my requiem."

"After all that we've been through, after all that we've related to, you shouldn't be ashamed for saying that. You should be proud of yourself to say so."

"When this mission's over, you'll have to treat me to a nice dinner before I go home."

"What do you want to eat?"

"Let's see, how about sushi?"

"Sushi? Since when do you eat that?"

"My step-mom made Japanese once and the sushi was delicious. Raw fish isn't so bad for your taste buds."

"Raw fish is just the place for our survival techniques."

We have little chuckle. I see a strange colorful butterfly fly above us. Its wings were gorgeous. They were turquoise colored flapping up down in our eyes. The flying creature was making the moment even more beautiful. Chloe loved butterflys. I turn my head back to Cayce.

"Cayce, thank you, Cayce," I said. "You'll be my eyes from now on."

The two of us smile. The two of us stare. At one another. I touch Cayce's cheek. He touches my hair. Our fingers caressing one another. Then the thought hit us. That one thought where it could happen now.

Our faces move closer and closer to each other. Preparing to make the decision to either ship or reject. This where we decide now. Where I decide now.

 **X/SQUARE/LM – KISS CAYCE**

 **B/CIRCLE/RM – DON'T KISS CAYCE**

And just as we thought, our lips make contact and we kiss away. Like my first kiss with Chloe that night after the play. Compressing mine onto my others. Locking lips like we mean it. We stop for one second so I could say one last thing.

"Thank you, Cayce," I said.

And then we return to the romance. Thriving the moment away with a single kiss to out mouths. Cayce leans to the ground as I climb over him, take off my shirt and pants, and continue kissing my professional boyfriend. Cayce takes his off too. But keeps his pants on.

As we kiss one the ground, I decide to do something special for this moment between us. Like the way Cayce put it. It's the love of nature.

I press my hands on the ground between Cayce's abdomen and use my nature powers to make our den fit in more with the moment. As I did, grass was beginning to grow out of the ground. Then tulips and daisies. Then vines growing out of the den's walls with more flowers sprouting like a Christmas reef. Vines shaping a heart around next to us for scenery.

We stop kissing one another for another second so Cayce could see what I see. A change of scenery with the help of my powers my partner had yet to witness. That he has.

"What is this?" He wondered.

"It's a gift," I said. "For both of us to endure. Thanks to my powers that can also manipulate nature."

"It's beautiful. I love it."

"I know."

We continue kissing. My bodies shifting from one side to another. Our arms caressing like cocoons. I've never been so in love with anyone in forever. Not since Chloe or Frank. Meaning this would be cheating. And yet, here we are. Embracing the love tonight.

All for the love of nature.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the capital building of La Paz, Alvarez had returned to his chambers. Along with his Russian lieutenant from Neo-Chrysalis. General Alexei Ranikov.

Having lost Vladimir Ranikov, son of Alexei, it was time for the two terrorist leaders to take the next step forward in keeping their adversaries from thwarting their goal. By executing their prisoner, Captain Cage, after interrogation and ridding Cayce and I. Which they were both plotting at this moment.

"It seems my rebellion is having difficulty detaining the two Chrysalis pigs," said Alvarez. "Vladimir had his chance. Alexei, take my men to use the captain prisoner as bait. And dispose of the American swines while you're at it."

"Consider it done," said Ranikov.

 **Note: I dedicate this chapter to a special friend and favorite follower/author of mine, tur1823, for the romantic reference from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Without him getting me into the beloved franchise from Konomi, I wouldn't have done it otherwise. For MGS's sake or LIS's sake, I did my best to make Cayce a bit more relatable to Rachel between their two griefs of the past. Just to add a bit more emotional depth to him. Even if people like Amberprice or Amberbowers better. Even if Amberfoley is still feeling a bit forced. The two still deserved at least one likeable moment in this episode.**

 **New World Order is nearing completion. After that, I will resume what I began with Eternity War and start writing it's third episode. This time, I will no longer put episodes on hold for other stories. Will focus on EW ep3 before I can shift gears to TLD ep3 that will be the finale of my prequel mini-series. Enjoy these last few chapters of this episode if you still can.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	17. Lima

Chapter 17 Lima

April 3rd, 2014

8:03 AM

Parque, Bolivia

Lima Outskirts

We had spent three hours traveling from the Pilon Lajas to Parque and we had now entered the Parque region. I've been staring at the map we still had with us since yesterday on the walk over here after a good night's rest under the falls. And a good night's kiss on the romantic side of things. The two of us were on course according to the map.

After walking for three long hours into the Parque Forest, my legs were starting to get sore. We had to be close at this rate. I may have also gotten a little food poisoning from eating roast snake. I hope Cayce didn't hunt for venomous snakes to eat. Surely we wasn't gullible enough to do that since he had more years of military experience than me.

I wonder if David Madsen ever had to eat snakes in Afghan before dressing as a security chief at Blackwell? I always missed Skip Matthews after his resignation to go on his tours for Pisshead.

I was thinking about what Cayce and I discussed last night before we made out. We're now two birds in the same stone having tragic backstories together. Cayce losing his dad in a jet wreck and killing his step-dad to defend his mom. Add my story between James and I along with the dark room thing between Mark, Nathan, and I and we're two pees in a pod. Even thought those words insert better with Chloe and I. A shame that was so long ago before it died the night I was drugged and abducted for my own innocence to be captured. Such a waste.

I then remembered what Cayce told me in Copacabana. Right after when we first ran from Alvarez. Warning me what befell of the last person he was once partnered with. He never shared any details about that with everyone else from his past during last night's conversation.

"Hey, Cayce," I said.

"What is it, Rachel?" He said.

"You never told me about your partner you were once with. The one mentioned back in Copacabana. Is that a topic you should've brought up last night?"

Cayce sighed.

"His name was John Stone," he said. "He wasn't so much of a partner as he was a mentor to me. A father figure of mine. He was the Captain of Alpha before Cage was."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"We were on this mission with him and the team. There was this ambush we were caught in. A set from these other quantum terrorists we were after. He was killed in action. Like my dad before him, he was a good man. A good soldier. A good friend."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Nothing else?"

"Let's just save the sad stories for later and get on with this. Are we almost there?"

"According to this map, we should just be dead ahead."

"Then we've got no time to kill."

"What about Captain Cage? We can't just leave him after we assemble the forge."

"We'll worry about him once we've dealt with that. Orders are orders. Insubordination won't be tolerated. Neither will dissertation."

"I get it partner. I've known the rules about being a trooper before I pulled my dissertation stunt. Don't need a reminder."

"Then let's get to it then, partner."

Not a few more steps forward later, we had seen more water falling down through some wooden vines where a light was seen through. Igniting like a candelabrum. I may not have been lying to myself when I said the lost capital was just dead ahead.

And just to prove my calculations accurate, we step through the vines poured with water and there it was. Our final destination beaconed. The lost city of Lima itself. The old Incan capital alone. Every detail was exuberant as a tiara and breathtaking as a wedding ring.

The whole lost city itself looked more like a palace as big as the Taj Mahal. Falls pouring through front and center, pointy roof tops as narrow as needles, the whole capital standing before us where Huayna once ruled. And his son and gatekeeper Huascar who guided us to it.

"Whoa," I said. Ogling the view of the capital. "Hello, Lima. You know, it's not every day you get to see a totally hidden city that nobody else has seen for centuries."

"Apart from Alvarez," said Cayce.

"Apart from Alvarez?"

"And a few of his men."

"And a few of his men."

"You ready?"

"You just – totally crushed that moment. You know that, right? Yeah, I'm ready."

As always, picture is need from my phone. I pull it to snap one of the ruined capital of Lima to remember this indeed.

There was a large flight of steps we walked on upon entry to the lost city of Lima. When walking up the steps, we had seen a statue of Huayna himself. Standing between smaller statues of Huascar and Pachachuti. Or perhaps someone else related to him who looked to be another offspring to Huayna than an ancestor.

"Just keeps getting more and more spectacular," said Cayce

"And in case there was any doubt this was Lima," I said. "Emperor Huayna."

"Plus, Huascar. And I'm guessing that's Pachacuti. At least before he got his trident?"

"Could be. Might also be Atahaulpa. Huayna's other son. He was briefly the Sapa Inca of the empire before the Spanish conquest."

"Sounds like they choose different paths."

By the time we reached top of the step to the entrance, it had been all but barriered by rocks and rubble. Must've been Alvarez's men who blew it shut.

"Dammit, they've blown the entrance," I said.

"They must be trying to block our tracks," said Cayce.

"Gotta be another way in. They're trying to slow us down."

"Yeah, meaning they've gotten here first."

I had found a small open where the two of us could climb through to get in. The only option we had left. When I had climbed inside, there was dust polluting the air that came from the explosion that caused the collapse. I coughed a little as I crawled inside and told Cayce to come in here.

"In here, Cayce," I said. Still coughing. "Ugh. Tastes great."

When the two of us crawl through the space and crawl out of it, voices are heard. More rebels inside the city.

"Company ahead," whispered Cayce. "Get down."

We hid behind a wall to remain hidden. The room the rebels were taking place was one centered by fountain with frog-bits and algae.

The two rebels appeared to be planting explosive on the wall to block their tracks even further. We would need to get rid of them if we wanted to push ahead.

I take my silenced pistols to aim for the heads and I shoot one rebel dead through the head. It alerted the other rebel and before I could kill him next, he ran and set off the explosives. Blocking our direct path for good with fallen concrete.

"What the hell?!" I snarked.

"Must've had a dead man's switch," said Cayce.

"It's a big city. There must be another way through."

"What is this place? A bath?"

"Or a well. Possibly both."

When stepping into the water, there was a deep hole underneath that confirmed my guess as a well. This was where I believed swimming was in order. Good thing I learned how to swim in gym. And not for the Blackwell Otters.

"So what do we do now?" Cayce wondered.

"Now we swim," I said. Right before diving in.

"What am I kidding? Go figure."

Good news was, my partner and I were both good swimmers. Bad news was, we're getting wet again. For the record, I actually love getting wet in country like this. It's been nothing but a Bolivian waterpark since yesterday when the mission began. Good thing my phone was waterproof. Bad thing the map wasn't.

The two of us dive in holding our breaths and swimming like mermaids and mermen down the well. We were swimming across a shaft that would take us elsewhere to another surface of water. I couldn't see well with water in my eyes while swimming, but I could see the light that was the surface.

Once our heads were out of the water and we caught our breaths, we could see where the light was coming from. Another hole where the sun was out and more water was falling. The two of us stepped out of the water and resurfaced back on solid ground. Cayce spotted something of interest up on more steps when we resurfaced.

"Look up," he said. "We're in some kind of cenote."

When staring at the cenote, we were also seeing statues of Huayna's consorts. Coya and Araua. The princesses and queen consorts of the Inca Empire and heirs to Huayna himself. Had to snap a photo with my waterproof phone to remember it. Sorry the map couldn't survive the swim.

"Huh, look there," I said, snapping the picture. "Huayna's princesses and consorts. Maybe these were the royal baths."

"Some statues of women for a change," said Cayce.

"Women actually played a big role in Inca society. Particularly the princesses and empresses."

"Not surprised. With the emperors and empresses going to fight all the time."

"They were involved in the fine arts, poetry, music, that sort of thing. Lima was their city in a way."

We walk down another room passing the cenote to where it appeared to be a collection room of some kind. There were shelves around the room with objects in display. A library perhaps?

"Well, what on earth is this?" I wondered.

I take wooden board from the shelf where an ancient script is written. Where it could be read like a sign.

"What is it?" Cayce asked.

"Ancient Incan script," I said. "Looks like stanzas. Could be poetry."

"This place a library?"

"Seems so."

The two of us peek around the library for second and we find that there are also instruments in the room too. One of them being a drum to beat with.

"Looks like a drum," said Cayce.

"It is a drum," I said.

"They keep all sorts of things in here."

I take a look at another instrument which appears to be guitar like instrument. Or in accurate terms, a veena. An instrument longer than a guitar and thinner than a violin.

"Is that a sitar?" Cayce asked.

"Veena," I corrected. "It's the sitar's distant ancestor. Maybe they gave performances in here."

"Rachel, over here."

Cayce spotted something of his own attention and I followed. And what we saw was a strange of Huayna and another figure I almost didn't recognize at first. The two of us walked closer to the statues for a greater observation.

"Look at this," said Cayce.

"It's incredible," I said. "It's an altar of some kind."

"Looks like the emperor suffered dearly for his people. Who's this guy in front of him?"

When observing the statues, Huayna was in his kneeling pose holding an object in his palms. Surrounded by Incan soldiers and warriors fighting Aztecans with arrows and spears impaled to their skins The object Huayna was holding was the Elysium Forge. But there was more to it. The forge was a quadrilateral like object being held in the hands of Huayna as if he were lending it to the statue of the figure before him. I knew who the figure was.

"It's Chronos," I said. "The Greek god of time. Protector of the Elysium realm and the Elysium forge. They weren't just protecting the forge. Historian's believed it was a symbol of power and dominance to the afterlife, but…I reckon they misunderstood."

"So why they just give up the forge to someone else when they were protecting it?" Cayce asked.

"Because when they were at war with the Aztecs, the Aztecans wanted the forge for themselves. The forge itself was a way to enter the realm of Elysium. It was also a device used to bring…"

I'm suddenly less than able to complete my sentence. The thought hits me of what the Elysium Forge can really do and it was no good. I slouch down on the floor against the altar knowing what would happen if anyone got their hands on it. Alvarez especially.

"Holy shit," I said in shock.

"What?" Cayce asked. "What is it? It can bring what?"

"Legend has it, the device can bring about the end of time and the end of the world. Not just the gateway to the afterlife. That is why they protected it and why it was given to Chronos when the war started. If the legend is true, we can't let Alvarez get that forge."

"I don't believe in legends, but no. No, we can't."

"Thank you."

"Thank me after we get out of this alive."

"Fair point," I said laughing.

Cayce pulls me up off the floor so we could continue our way through the city to find the forge before Alvarez does. Legend or not, he's not getting away with it.

"C'mon, we've got a forge to find and mission to complete," remined Cayce.

"Let's find that forge," I said.

 **Note: Note to followers. Only two more chapters left before episode 2 is complete. Then I finish what I started with episode 3 of Eternity War. For those who have read After the Storm beforehand, I can confirm there is an interconnection with this story and that story just as Before the Storm was interconnecting with the original Life Is Strange. Understandably, you just might get the nods to After the Storm as mentioned in The Lost Daughter.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	18. The Eye of Huayna

Chapter 18 The Eye of Huayna

April 3rd, 2014

8:33 AM

Parque, Bolivia

Lima Outskirts

After witnessing the altar, we proceed further into the city to eventually come across an enormous room with an enormous statue of Huayna. Sitting down crisscrossed, holding his axe in his left hand, and holding an hourglass-shaped drum in his right hand. And with that, a viper around his neck like a necklace.

If I had to guess, we've just entered the throne room of Huayna himself. Or even better, the place they've hidden the third fragmentation of the Elysium Forge.

"My god, are you seeing this?" Cayce asked.

"You know, at this point," I said. "I've run out of words."

"Holy god damn shit."

"Those work."

"What on earth is this place?"

"Throne room? Place to hide a magnificent bejeweled forge? Or rather the third and final fragmentation of it?"

"Let's hope so."

I snap of phone photo of Huayna's throne room statue to remember this big bit of this field trip thus far. Then I remember the Inca disc Alvarez took from us yesterday. If we were going to get as far as the third fragment, the disc may be needed again. Which would now be more greater said than done since it had now slipped into Alvarez's fingers.

"Shit, I just realized something," I said.

"I think I know what it is," said Cayce.

"That we're going to need that disc soon?"

"Exactly."

"Well, not much we can do until we find Alvarez."

"Or until he finds us."

Something had to be done about this statue that must be another puzzle to finding the third fragment. There were more steps and stairs to walk on between Huayna which led to somewhere. Which is where we walked up to next.

We walk up one flight of stairs to a higher platform on the left side of the chamber where there was another crank in place to spin around. Had to be the first step to progress. As longs as the disc wasn't going to be required anytime soon, but sometime later.

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere," I said.

"I see another crank on other side of the chamber," said Cayce, skimming his eyes and head around the room.

"I'll give this a spin."

When I gave it a spin, it was moving Huayna's left hand carrying the axe upwards where the bottom of the handle was stopped in front of us. Could be stopping there for a reason.

"Maybe it's because this statue's enormous," said Cayce. "But I just now noticed Shiva's got a viper for a necklace."

"That's Bothrop," I said. "A king of the Viperidae. Species that take the form of a viper. Entities that take the form of a viper. It shows his control over fear and death."

"Hm. Vipers were always my favorite snake with cobras."

"Don't think I have a favorite."

"Okay, now what?"

"Well, there's gotta be more to this. Just need to figure out what it is."

"I'm going to search the other side."

"'Kay."

As Cayce ran down to the other side of the chamber to see what the right crank did, I get a move on by jumping and climbing onto the handle of the axe. Balancing my myself on the handle like an acrobat once my feet were on it. I had spotted something on the other end of the axe the looked to be the next step to solving the puzzle.

Before I could reach the other side, the axe was coming down back to where it originally stood before moving the crank. I was about to fall off my ground and reach for the handles on the axe to hold onto before collapsing to death.

"Oh no," I said startled. "Ohhhh no, no, no, no, no!"

 _"_ _Hang on!"_ Cayce shouted from his end.

"Oh, good suggestion!"

The axe came to a complete stop. I hung onto the handle before it did.

"Ah, that was a close one!" I shouted. "Nearly destroyed my pants."

Once I was safe, I climb up to the blades of the axe and stand on top. I could see my house from here. I could also see a switch from here too. One looking to be another piece of the puzzle. To get to it, I was going to have to rope and swing across to it's platform.

I toss my rope to a branch sticking out of the structures to swing across. Once I land on the platform the switch is at, I approach it and turn it around to activate the puzzle. As soon as it was turned, it activated more water running through more ducts. Wherever this water was supposed to run, it was running somewhere down Huayna's statue.

 _"_ _Hey, you do that?!"_ Cayce shouted far away.

"I did!" I shouted back.

 _"_ _Great, because I think I'm about to turn the water on for this side!"_

"What?!"

I can hear something being activated from Cayce's side. Then I see water running down on his side too. Must've already done everything I did to get to my switch. Spin the crank, climb up the drum, and turn the switch for the faucet to come on.

And then a door opens on my side. Another door opens on Cayce's side too. Both opening a passage to enter on both our ends.

"Now we've got water running down both sides," said Cayce.

"Shall we?" I said.

The passage took us to another staircase taking us higher up the statue. As well as another crank to spin around and find out what it did. And what it did was not only move both hands of the statue close together, but also divert the water channeling through the arms and hands into an empty pool that was now filling with the channeling water like a pitcher.

"That looks promising," said Cayce.

"Yeah," I said.

As soon as the pool was fully watered, a reflective light beamed across the chamber from Huayna's crown to a small statue at the far side of a balcony set in front of Huayna's statue and far above the chamber's floors. As far as I could tell, this puzzle was far from done.

"The eye of Huayna," I said. "That light is shining on that statue across the way."

On the downside of things there was no way to get across between the statue and the high platform. On the upside of things, that all changed as soon as something was being extended between two grounds. A bridge sliding out of the balcony towards Huayna's statue to walk across the massive chasm. Convenient as ever.

"Guess we're not done," said Cayce.

"When the Inca want to protect something," I said. "They don't want to do it halfway. C'mon."

We safely walk over the bridge and the two of us approach the statue where Huayna's light was reflecting against a square-shaped glass. A prism it was called. The light appeared to be shining in the wrong spot of the prism. The statue holding it would need to be redirected.

I redirect the statue myself by turning it around one direction. It was heavy to turn around, but I kept turning until the light was in the correct spot. And when it was, it was now reflecting three other direction. Up, left, and right.

"Ah, here we go," I said.

"That thing it's holding," said Cayce. "It's a prism."

"Yeah, and now we have to tend to the other statues."

They were four other reflecting statues used for the puzzle. One of which was in a correct spot, one of which was broken, and two of which needed to be redirected. And the two of us were the only people in this chamber who would do something about it.

"Those two look right," said Cayce.

"Now we tend to the other two," I said.

"You were right."

"Course I was. About what?"

"What you said back in that place with all the statues and axes. Things always come in threes. Three points of an axe. The light's split into three beams. And Huayna's third eye."

"You know about Huayna's third eye?"

"Yeah, wisdom."

"Mm-hm. And destruction. He only opens it to impart one or the other."

"Hm, hope it's wisdom."

"Yeah, not with our luck. Let's go fix the other statues."

Each and every statue was holding plate to reflect the light in one direction. All except for the three without the light. I run up to the statue that required redirection. To redirect it, I had to push it over to the side so that it would beam against a platter on the ceiling. After that was finish, Cayce and I moved forward to the next ones.

We run over the statue that was broken to bits and the plate had. I picked the reflection plate up to try and get it back onto the statue's block. I had the sense that someone was going to have to play a statue and hole the against the light until the puzzle was solved.

"Well, shit," I said. Picking up the plate. "This one's busted."

"Let me see," said Cayce. Offering his help. "Hang on."

"You got that?"

"Yeah."

Cayce carried the plate for me, stood up on the statue's block, and held the plate up high above his head so the light would reflect in the proper direction. Once the light was reflection in the direction, I couldn't help but flirt with Cayce again and think he made a sexy statue.

"There," he said. Holding the plate up against the light.

"You make a phenomenal statue," I complimented.

"Get over there. This thing's heavy."

"Right."

Before I think about moving to the next statue, I just had to reach for my phone and get a picture of him as a reflection statue. If I wanted, I'd post it on Instagram.

"Really?" Cayce question. Still holding up the heavy plate.

"Really," I repeated. Snapping the picture.

I put my phone away and move to the last statue. Where the platform on edge looked half broken. Moving the statue around was going to be heavy work and the weight of the statue may be a little to much for the cracked platform.

"Careful, that ledge doesn't look sturdy," said Cayce.

"Copy that," I said.

Like the statue before, it needed to be moved to where it could have an angle on the platter on the ceiling. Surprisingly enough, the ledge didn't break down when I pushed the statue to the side. Then the light was reflected on the platter and the puzzle complete as I heard something activated.

"Okay, that did something," I said.

"So I can put this down?" Cayce asked.

"No, wait for it."

"What's happening? I can't see from over there."

"Just hold still for just a sec."

I look down below us to see the water still pouring from the channels. As well as the fountains of water on the low ground. There was a platform being raised with a pedestal sticking out. Must be where and when the Inca disc is need. And we still don't have it at this time of all times.

"All this water," I said. "It's a cleansing ritual."

"What's happening?" Cayce asked. Still holding the plate.

"Oh, you can put down the mirror now!"

Little did I know I was being watch by a sinister figure. We were being watched as we had been putting the puzzle together the whole time. Whoever was here, was standing behind me and I could sense it before I knew it.

Without a second thought, I equip my pistol out of it's holster and instantly turned around. Aiming for who I thought was there, except he wasn't. The figure himself had vanished with no trace. Until Cayce gave me the warning where he was.

"Rachel, above you!" Cayce hollered.

I immediately look up to see the figure about to slam dunk himself on me with a knife in his hand. Ready to strike and stab me. I quickly roll on the ground to dodge the figure's incoming strike as his blade hits nothing else but the concrete on the ledge.

I knelt to my ground and felt a sharp sting cut through my cheek after my evasive action. The blade must've barely struck me before dodging. Leaving me with a bloody scar on my face as I felt it with my fingers.

When my head shifts to my attacker, I recognize the figure himself. A man wearing a beret, tactical vest, cargo pants, and a scar around the eye. Holding an army knife with his robust fist. My own blood dripping on the edge of his blade. Last time I was stabbed, I lost more blood than now.

Recognizing the man's features, I last saw this man with Alvarez back in Copacabana when stealing the disc from Alvarez's office. This man was Alvarez's Russian lieutenant and the father of Vladimir Ranikov. Having a grudge on his face for killing him.

"So…we meet again, Chrysalis dog," said Alexei Ranikov in his thick and menacing accent.

"Ranikov!" Cayce snapped. Joining in with his gun aimed for him.

"We know who you are," I admitted. "You're Vladmir's father. Alexei, isn't it?"

"And you've made it this far to assembling the forge," said Ranikov.

"I'm guessing it was Alvarez who sent you to kill us," I thought.

"You catch on quick, American. In the first place, Alvarez informed me to take you out of the portraiture of his rebellion and use your captured comrade as bait. In the second place, this is avengeance for my only son, Vlad. Who failed me, my comrades, and this journey to our salvation."

Ranikov unpredictably swings his knife towards me as I barely jerk myself backwards. Remembering that part of my training. Cayce tries to attack back with his fist. But is countered and then kicked to the side so he would could attack and kill me alone. I grab my army knife out of its sheath for some better odds to be evened. Glad I trained how to fight with knife too.

As my partner was knocked down, I swing my knife at my ruskie opponent. But my strikes are dodged by the man better and longer experience than me.

"Is that all you got, da?" I taunted.

Ranikov smiled. Then we swung his knife once more as I shifted my body backwards to dodge his strike once more. Not sure if the commie himself fights like a woman or if he has more up his nose, but I wouldn't underestimate him at all. Not like I did with Alvarez when I fought him.

"In the third place," said Ranikov. "I'd like the two other fragments yourself and comrade put together. And I'll spare your lives long enough for you to show us the third fragment in this lost city."

Ranikov swings his knife again and this time our knifes make contact and block each other like swords. Now this was an official knife duel between my opponent and I.

"You leave our captured comrade out of this!" I snapped. "And I'll do as you say!"

"This ends one of three ways, American," said Ranikov. "You do as I tell you and we make this fight a forfeit for Alvarez's sake, you die by my hand, or I buy my men enough time for you to die by theirs."

The Russian kicked a chunk of concrete towards me. I ducked my head away from it and Ranikov races another knife swing at me. My knife clings onto it in time for me to perform backflip away from Ranikov's strike and Ranikov himself to perform a front flip ahead of me.

I knelt to my ground and turned my head back to my opponent as I stood back up. I was going to enjoy fighting him.

"You'll get nothing from me!" I snarled.

I race towards Ranikov to strike him with my knife and he clashes his knife with mine. We continue hitting our knifes like sword fights in Pirates of the Caribbean. I even let go of my knife so it could hover in the air and catch it to dice Ranikov with a large cut across his latex shirt.

My opponent is impressed and laughs. Then charges at me again for another strike. This time, I counter his strike by restraining his grasp on the knife and twisting my arm around to make my strike against him. He too counters my strike and we wrestle our armed hands together like sumos. Then our wrestling broken as soon as Ranikov twists his arm around mine and kicks me in the back to knock me to floor.

I lye down flat when I knocked over and stare at the powerful ruskie himself. Almost stronger than El Eterno's leader. Just by looks of his body more assumingly strong than Alvarez. My opponent glances down and overlooks me lying there with a broken back.

"You fight well for pretty young woman," said Ranikov. "Just the Rachel Amber I was told about."

"You know my name?" I questioned.

"There are no secrets in Neo-Chrysalis. Much less in El Eterno. Enough talk. Die, Chrysalis bitch!"

The Russian muscle man himself makes his biggest move yet by pouncing onto my and striking his knife towards my face. This is when I start wrestling his knife away from me as I'm pinned to the ground. As I live and breathe, my life hangs by a thread with Ranikov's dagger nearing the finishing blow. The tip of his razer ready to impale me in the throat as I'm biting my lip and struggling for dear life. A fight I'm about to lose to a man twice as strong than me.

Until a bullet that flickers through the knife come to the rescue. I kick Ranikov away from my space as we roll out on the floor and see Cayce with his gun in hand that saved my skin. As the old cliché goes, never bring a knife to a gun fight.

"Don't fucking touching her!" Cayce snapped.

"Well, if it isn't the boyfriend, I presume?" Ranikov wondered.

"That's partner to you, Ranikov. Looks like we have the upper hand here."

Ranikov chuckled.

"You may be able to prolong your lives," he said. "But it's not as if you can escape your inevitable deaths, is it?"

Cayce turned his head to his right to see Alvarez's men had already arrived and discovered. One of the rebels being armed with an RPG ready to fire.

"Oh, shit! They've found us!" Cayce yelled. "Get ready!"

"Shit!" I startled.

Before we could start running, the RPG had already fired and the rocket launched it's way towards us. Hitting the wall into an explosion that cause our balcony ground to collapse as we were now loosing our footing and sliding off the edge. Ranikov manage to cut and run before he was caught in the collapse with us.

As soon as my sliding body slipped of the edge, I grab Cayce's arm in hope of us getting back on our feet again. But our avail was unfathomable as the two of us we now falling off the balcony with our platform coming down with out us and us landing and splashing into the fountains. Surviving the fall, but making us vulnerable to capture.

And so we were.

 **Note: For anyone living in the states, happy Memorial Day everyone. Remembering the people who's sacrifices made our freedom. I'm not one for fancy speeches, but I solute to those who served and died with honor.**

 **The last chapter will be posted soon after this. This will all be over soon enough for me to start writing Eternity War again. I appreciate the patience.**

 **Until next time, stay tuned and golden!**


	19. New World Order

Chapter 19 New World Order

April 3rd, 2014

8:59 AM

Parque, Bolivia

Lima Outskirts

I'm coughing out water out of the fountain Cayce and I fell in. Cayce coughs it out too. Despite the water breaking our fall, little do we know when crawling out of the water, we're right underneath the shoes of Hugo Alvarez. Two of Alvarez's resistance fighters pull us out of the water by the arm and cuff us. Holding us captive right before their leader's eyes. Like rats in a mouse trap.

"Well, now that was quite the fall," said Alvarez. "You had me worried. Come, it's time for a reunion."

Alvarez and his rebel fighters escort us to the front of the chamber with our wrists cuffed together behind our backs to where more of the rebels, Colonel Almagro, and Ranikov are beating Captain Cage on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back too. The tough guy Ranikov was, he gave him a real good jab to the eye with his clenching hulk fist. The ruskie brute pleasured himself for what he did to Cage for the sake of revenge for his only son. An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.

Since the two of us were now held captive, we were being tossed to the floor with the captain alone. Knowing I was now a prisoner of war, I might as well have never existed and still be wishing I died in the dark room. Understanding my fate could be sealed twice whenever they plan to kill the three of us.

"He wouldn't give you up," said Alvarez. Talking about Cage. "Despite my efforts to persuade him."

"Oh, Captain," said Cayce. Being tossed down to his knees with me. "Jesus."

"Hey, if it isn't Rapunzel and Flynn Rider," said Cage sarcastically. "You made it."

The two of us notice the big bruise around his eye from the hit he took from Ranikov. Like Rocky taking a hit from Apollo Creed.

"Dude," said Cayce.

"It's alright," said Cage. "He hits like a bitch."

"Is that right?" I wondered. "How about we get these cuffs off and I'll show you how bitches hit for keeping secrets from me about your capture."

"Rachel Amber, ever the survivor," said Cage chuckling.

"Can it, Captain," said Cayce. "In a few minutes, we may no longer be survivors."

"Yeah, but-"

"I must admit," interrupted Alvarez. Taking the Inca disc he took back from us. "You are quite the schemer. First, you steal my disc. Then you have your capitan run me around in circles.

Alvarez chuckled.

"That's clever," he said. "Perhaps there's a little Incan blood in you after all."

The man walks over to the pedestal that was raised minutes ago and sets the disc down on it to insert it. Once the disc was inserted into it's slot, noises were heard of something opening. The moaning sounds of gears turning the must be now opening a passage to the last Elysium Forge fragment. Incan blood or no, it was for what it's worth.

"Sure," I said. "I'll take the credit."

Cayce, Cage, and I sat down handcuffed on the floor watching the fountain turn into a ravine of water like the dividing waters from the Moses exodus opening a passage to the final fragmentation. The water dries itself out and our platform is lowered down for us to enter. The passage being a long hallway down to walk through.

"Huh," said Cage.

"Well, let's finish what we started," said Alvarez.

The rebels pull us off the floor to get us moving with their leader and lieutenants Ranikov and Almagro. Cage didn't take to kindly to getting pulled up. Neither did we.

"Alright, alright," he said.

With the three of us captured, we were forced to walk down the long aisle with our capturers until we were either executed or told what to do next. I knew they would make me give up the other two fragments as well so I would put the last fragment on for them. I walked down handcuffed next to Cage and Cayce walked behind us.

"So, Rachel Amber," said Cage.

"Don't talk to me," I said.

"I was going to say you look good."

"Was I not clear? What's that smell?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't exactly had access to running water and soap recently. God, of all the things you could bitch about."

"Don't patronize her, Cage," said Cayce. "She's already been through enough hell as she has."

"You do remember that, uh, she couldn't go home until this mission was green flagged, right? We've gone through this many, many times."

"And to be fair, we had to keep secrets from her to promise her that."

"Yeah, but that's besides the point. The point is, that the second we turn our backs, there will be a knife in there."

"I can hear every word you're saying," I said.

"No shit!" Cage snapped.

"And she's been lied to for about fifteen years of her life," said Cayce. "I think she's had enough."

Cage laughed irritably.

"You – you know what?" He thought. "Fine, I guess I'm just a little bit irked that we are walking away with nothing! But I guess you know what that's like, right?"

I'm bit irritated myself with Cage's word's and I shove him to side with arm cuffed to my wrists as the Captain nearly fumbles off his feet. Childish, but justified. I've waited to do that since the moment I first laid eyes on his capture.

"Oh, my-" said Cayce irritably.

"Real classy," said Cage. "Thank you."

"Time and place, children."

"More where that came from," I said.

"Bike racks after school," said Cage.

Cayce sighed. Being had with my argument with the captain.

"Just hurry up!" Alvarez snapped. Shutting us down before we say anything else.

I was forced to open the door the chamber keeping the fragment with my arm to let everyone else in. As soon as I and everyone else stepped inside, load and behold, the chamber to the final fragment of the Elysium Forge.

The chamber itself was detailed with statues and symbols of the Inca. Along with two statues in the center. One with Pachacuti holding his axe and one of Huayna. Standing in between another pedestal where the disc had to be inserted one final time. Alvarez was delighted and smiled at his achievement arriving here.

"Whoa," said Cage. "That's ominous."

"It appears the emperors have one final test," said Alvarez.

"Looks like you won't be needing us though," I said. "So, we'll just be on our way."

"Oh, on the contrary, surely you know the story."

One of the rebels uncuffs me to join Alvarez. So I'd be able to do what he asks of me. Even by force. I walk next to him so we would retell the story between Huayna and Pachacuti to me.

"You see," he said. "Topa Inca gave Pachacuti the mighty axe that struck Huayna in the face. Bringing Huayna's son one of the greatest gods to his knees. Chronos the Greek god of time. Another casualty of war."

Alvarez offers me the disc to do the honors. I know he'd force me to do anything to live long enough to do his bidding.

"Don't!" Cayce snarled.

"Yeah, seriously, Amber," said Cage. "He's just gonna kill-"

The rebel behind the captain knocks him down to his knees to remain him silent. Though he never finished his sentence, I knew he wasn't wrong."

"He's right," said Alvarez. "But if you refuse, you will watch them die inch by inch."

The rebels knock both Cayce and Cage down on the floor to kick them in the ribs and beat them down like animals. Including Ranikov and Almagro. No matter how much time I have left life for, I wasn't going to bare watching my companions get beaten to pulps.

"ALRIGHT!" I cried across the room. Making the rebels stop their beating.

I swipe the disc out of Alvarez's hand furiously. Forcing my hand with the sensitivity of Cayce and Cage's pain. I march over to the pedestal to insert the disc in it's slot.

"Rachel, don't!" Cage yelled.

Considering the position we were in now, I wasn't taking order from the captain. I was taking order from Alvarez for the time being. I put the disc in it's slot and something activates. Levers were appearing in the room that must be used to solve this last puzzle. I wasn't going to keep Alvarez and men waiting, so the levers were where I marched to next.

I push down one lever and it reveals a mural of Huayna passing down the axe to Pachacuti. I push down the other lever revealing a mural of Huayna kneeling before Pachacuti. The last step of the puzzle was one I needed to use the disc with to do so. Another turntable puzzle on the wall to get our last fragment. Or rather Alvarez's last fragment for his sake.

"Amber, don't give this schmuck what he wants," said Cage.

"Tranquilo! (Quiet!)" Alvarez snapped.

I use the disc the turn the dials of the puzzle around to match them in the correct spot like always. Once again, the some of the dials would be movie in opposite direction as others would to make the puzzle more of a challenge. Since this was no time for a challenge being at Alvarez's mercy, I was going to need to solve this piece quick.

I match every tile as quick as possible matching them as fast as possible until I realize I put together another mural of Pachacuti and Huayna. Of Huayna yielding before Pachacuti. Having the axe on him as he knelt down.

"Wait a minute," I said. "He's yielding."

Pachacuti's statue was moving. Moving the axe upwards as if it were about to cut something down. Much as my head off my neck.

"The axe," said Cayce. "It's going to fall!"

"Quiet!" Alvarez ordered.

"Huayna, quite an obstacle you've placed in my path," I said.

Another last part of the puzzle was to make Huayna's statue yield. By moving his arms downward to make him yield. Using the disc to do that.

"What are you doing?" Alvarez asked.

"Shut up and watch," I said.

I turn the disc around one more time to make sure Huayna's arms were lowered to yield. Once Huayna was in his yielding pose, it was time for Pachacuti to make his move. And when he did, his statue lowered the axe and swung it at the speed of light against my throat. I jump to death, bite my lip, and raise my hand in fear of getting my decapitated by Pachacuti's axe with it's blade inches from me.

Everyone else was almost scared to death too. I take a deep breath relieving myself from my panic and step away from the axe that swung and missed.

"Are you alright?" Cayce asked.

"Yeah," I said. Taking a breather. "That was unexpected."

"Holy shit," said Cage. "She's got balls, huh?"

Nicely enough, the axe is raised again away from my neck when the final sequence of the puzzle in underway. Alvarez is puzzled at the situation of it all.

"I – I don't understand," said Alvarez.

"It's an idiom," said Cage.

"That's 'cause you've got it all twisted, amigo," I said. "Huayna allowed himself to be struck by the axe."

Alvarez scoffed.

"That makes no sense!" He grunted.

"Not to a selfish prick, no," I said smiling.

One of the rebels was signaled by Alvarez to cuff me again. The rebel did as ordered and put my cuffs back on my wrists behind my back.

"You see," I continue while being cuffed. "Huayna could've defeated Pachacuti easily, but if he had, that would've made Topa Inca's axe look weak. Powerless."

The rebel dragged me back with Cayce and Cage by the arm as I spoke. He also took the two assembled fragments of the forge for Alvarez to take and put together. The two statues lowered themselves in the sequence of unlocking the third fragment.

"Huayna sacrificed himself to preserve his father's honor," said Cayce.

"See? Even he gets it," I told Alvarez. "Not a drop of Incan blood on him."

And now for the main event. The disc's pedestal ascended and unveiled the third fragment to the forge. With two fragments in Alvarez's fingers and the final appearing before his eyes, he chuckled in excitement. Alvarez took the fragment and assemble the last piece together.

Once all three fragmentations were placed together, it was transforming into something bizarre. A luminous blue light was igniting through the three fragments like a nightlight and transformed itself into a tesseract shaped object. A glass square with lit with magical blue inside. The Elysium Forge indeed.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Alvarez thought. Hold forge in the palm of his hand. "Oh, what? Nothing to say now?"

"Well, if you like," I said. "I can tell you where to stick it."

Cage chuckled. Figuring exactly where I thought to stick. His anis or his ass.

"Well, my friends," said Alvarez. "I would love to kill you myself, but we must not anger the gods for you have brought me great fortune."

"Okay, then," said Cage. "What are you doing?"

"You're gonna slaughter us like pigs," assumed Cayce.

"Hugo, you promised me death to all of them," said Ranikov. "Do not delay me now."

"Patience, Alexei," said Alvarez. "Vengeance is the heretic's way. Their deaths will come soon enough. I will miss you."

"Come on," I said. "Is this really necessary?"

"You know nothing is ever truly destroyed," said Alvarez. "Only purified and reborn."

"Just shoot us and get it over with," said Cayce.

"Right," said Cage.

"As we bring you to our summit in La Paz," said Alvarez. "You will have time to reflect on the choices that brought you here. When the time comes, your deaths shall bare witness to our acolytes of El Eterno and you will die as heretics to our cause and custom. Perhaps in your next lives, you will fare better. The new world order is nigh. And with it, the old Incan blood and our rise to power at hand."

"Prick," I said.

Well, this is it. This is what I get for trusting untrustworthy men who dragged me into this when I've went straight back to Arcadia Bay which had been overdue since the day I awoke from my death bed in a Chrysalis lab. I know I was to be executed in La Paz with Cayce and Cage so that my first death would remain factual.

I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry, Dad or James or whatever. I'm sorry, Sera. I'm so sorry who had to see me dead the first time around. We all know I don't deserve to die twice in one year. I should've had the courage to forgive you the first time, James. Even if the pain of what you did twists my mind. I really should've. Pompidou, watch over Frank for me. Max, take care of Chloe for me. You all deserve a lot better than to see me dead twice.

Like Alvarez just said, I would have time to reflect on not only choices I made here, but the once I've made in a lifetime. Hopefully, I can fare better in my next life. Hopefully, Mendoza, Mason, and the rest of the team figure out we're MIA before we're KIA. Either way, we'll never exist.

The insurgents place bags over our heads as soon as we're being taken away. One for Cayce, one for Cage, and one for me. When my bag is over head, I knew it was all going to be over soon. I knew that all my hopes of seeing Arcadia Bay again let alone my promise land of Los Angeles would be all but dashed.

Or could they?

 **Stand By Me – Ki:Theory**

Back at Chrysalis HQ in Portland, Derrick Crosby was in the special projects room taking a good look around Project Elysium. The project he had spent decades dreaming and building for the world to see and make history of it. Along with his pal and co-founder Sebian Sorenson. The chief science officer in Chrysalis who had been looking around the progress with Crosby himself.

Crosby had concerns about Rachel since his last briefing with her. Worried if she'll ever make it out of Bolivia to keep his end of the Bargain he made with her just a few weeks earlier. Unaware of her capture by Alvarez and El Eterno and regretting to misinform her of the mission.

* * *

Kara Hendricks back at the Chrysalis Port in Tiquina had been researching more about the Elysium Forge via blueprints and encrypted tiles with Incan script. Doing all the research in her own triage. The theories had been deemed true. Alvarez was planning to use it as a quantum terrorist WMD. She had only hoped Chrysalis forces would be able to stop El Eterno from using it. Much more Rachel and Cayce to stop them from using it.

The insurgency mustn't use the Elysium Forge for whatever plotted them to do so. If only she knew about Rachel and Cayce capture.

Sergeants Newblood and Logos and Lieutenant Major Heard were sitting down at their own triage watching an NHL game of there fan favorite team the Seattle Thunderbirds. Oblivious to the fact they've just had three of their team captured by the sinister EL Eterno and still enjoyed the game with other soldiers off duty.

* * *

Captain Mendoza, Lieutenant Mason, and Commander Rivera were still on recon out in enemy territory in Bolivia. Who they too had yet to learn about Rachel's, Cayce's, and Captain Cage's capture. Luckily, they managed to grab a tip from one of their other recon teams about their recent captivity. It was time for them to pack it up and set course for La Paz to bring them back in.

* * *

James Amber was sitting down at bar in San Francisco who had been living there with Rose since his daughter's disappearance. Since the day he had first known about Rachel's supposed death, he couldn't help but to feel bad for himself going out drinking at a bar table. Since then, his wife hadn't left his home in San Fran since Rachel's funeral and he alone barely went back to City Hall where he had been serving in the senate.

For a failed District Attorney and a man who failed his daughter, he had been staring at a picture of himself and Rachel on Mount Hood with a glass of sherry in his hand feeling bad for himself for six months. Who he had once felt to be a proud father and politician was now an alcoholic wreck. If only he could see how much Rachel was far from dead at this moment.

* * *

Mark Jefferson had been rotting in his jail cell at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Six months in death row still awaiting execution after being sentenced months prior. And his execution was less than a day away.

* * *

Back in Arcadia Bay, there was a small memorial at Blackwell Academy. One with pictures of students who's lives were lost to the storm. There were also pictures of Nathan Prescott and Rachel Amber to honor their memory as well. Victoria Chase would come around once in a while to glance over at the memorial for Nathan. Kate Marsh this time came with her to comfort her. She still remembered Rachel for a short time being before her disappearance and death. They both paid respects for the good students they lost along away like everyone else.

* * *

Frank Bowers sat in his beach chair under his RV's convertible roof in the middle of the night. Having a beer by a bonfire he made in the middle of the Arcadian shores with his dog Pompidou relaxing in the sand. He had still been wearing Rachel's bracelet on his wrists to remember her and took a glance on the bracelet around his wrists to think about her. It had been a rough six months missing her and even he had been drinking himself to death mourning her. At least he was there at the cemetery to overwatch Rachel's funeral with Pompidou.

* * *

Chloe Price, Rachel Amber's imperatively best friend had been lying down in bed with Max Caulfield one night. Looking at the selfie her and Rachel took at the abandoned fun fair three days from her death and disappearance. Even with Max to mend her loss, she can never forget how special Rachel once was to her. Like her late father William before her.

* * *

At the refugee camp in Copacabana, Captain Mendoza's only ten-year-old daughter Nina was still wondering around the markets. Hoping for her father to return home from the civil war he had been fighting for herself and the freedom of Bolivia. She still remembered Rachel from a few days in earlier in the shop. Only by her alias Rochelle. Nina also hoped that she'd return to her for the pizza. When Bolivia is free and Rachel is free from all of El Eterno.

In the end, the New World Order was just beginning. And about to meet its end.

 **End of Episode 2!**

 **Note: And that concludes this installment of The Lost Daughter. Will Rachel and her companions escape El Eterno? Will sure stop Alvarez and the insurgency to get back home and the life she deserves to return to? Stay tuned in the finale Life Is Strange: The Lost Daughter – Episode 3: An Evil Empire.**

 **As promised, I will finally return to my anticipated third episode of Eternity War titled "The Great Journey". It's going to be tight and amazeballs compared to what this story has been! Let's all rejoice for a season 2 announcement at this years E3, shall we? And just a reminder, the episode will not be placed on hiatus midway in curtesy of finishing this prequel as I did putting this episode on hold in favor of Eternity. The Lost Daughter's finale will be written after Eternity War's third installment is complete. Y'all have my word.**

 **Until next time, y'all stay tuned and golden! PIECE! ;]**

 **Life Is Strange: The Lost Daughter**

 **Episode 2: New World Order**

 **Voice Cast**

 **Rachel Amber… …Erin Yvette**

 **Cayce Foley… …Christopher Emerson**

 **Derrick Crosby… …Peter Jessop**

 **Dr. Kara Hendricks… …Zoe Telford**

 **Cpt. Clayton Cage… …Chris Fries**

 **Sgt. Andrew Newblood… …Nick Boulton**

 **SSgt. Carlos Logos… …Alex Hernandez**

 **Lt. Maj. Cheryl Heard… …Cindy Robinson**

 **Lt. Amanda Lynch… …Emily O'Brien**

 **Cpt. Lupe Mendoza… …Carlos Antonio**

 **Cdr. Enrique Rivera… …Christian Lanz**

 **Mark Jefferson… …Derek Phillips**

 **Col. Damien Almagro… …JB Blanc**

 **Vladimir Ranikov… …Michael Ark**

 **Alexei Ranikov… …Keythe Farley**

 **Hugo Alvarez… …Robin Atkin Downes**

 **Written and Edited by**

 **WickDaLine**

 **Based on the characters by**

 **Christian Devine**

 **Soundtrack**

 **Icky Thump – The White Stripes**

 **I Don't – Koda**

 **Stand By Me – Ki:Theory**

 **Special Thanks**

 **DONTNOD**

 **Deck Nine**

 **Kylie Brown**

 **Michel Koch**

 **Luc Baghadoust**

 **Zak Gariss**

 **tur1823**

 **Stargazing Writer**

 **and you!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I don't own anything! All right go to Square Enix, DONTNOD, and Deck Nine. Thank you.**

Next time on Life Is Strange: The Lost Daughter…

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Rachel snapped. Hoping into a 4x4 with a rifle strapped to her back.

She got the engine running and it was time to chase down Alvarez's train carrying the bomb that would blow up Copacabana. Not by the hair of Rachel Dawn Amber herself.


End file.
